Godwar, Part 1: Prologue: The Contract, chapter 1
by Nitebreaker
Summary: Kitten's having a really hard time dealing with Omega's death. As her luck would have it, she gets an offer she can't refuse...The usual pairings: BB/Terra, Rob/Star, Raven/Hank, Kitten and ? Sequel to "Kidnapped." Rated for language and content. NOW COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

Tales of the Teen Titans: Godwar, part 1: Prologue: Chapter 1: The Contract

_Okay, this is the beginning of a larger story arc I've been toying with for some time now. Hopefully, this will wrap up some loose ends, and explain a few things along the way….and ask my gentle readers some very hard questions. But that's one reason we're all here, isn't it?_

_Needless to say, I receive no remuneration for anything involving the Teen Titans._

The problem with depression, Kitten thought to herself, the problem that no-one else realized, was that not only did it suck, and suck _hard_, but it sucked _forever._

Calling it "down in the dumps" only served to illustrate people's ignorance. When one is depressed, each minute seems like an hour. And hours…..are almost intolerable.

She'd been this way for some time now. Her father, Killer Moth, was clearly worried about her. Her friends—and _that_ was a thought, all by itself—in the Titans (correction: the _other_ Titans, she told herself. After all, she was a full-fledged member now, ID card and everything) had been calling her, to see what was the matter. Even Angelique had taken to dropping in on her at random intervals, ostensibly to check up on Charlie, but clearly more worried about Kitten.

She just couldn't seem to get interested in anything. A part of her wished she could go back to her old materialistic ways, get all excited over somebody giving her something, or just buying something for herself. But she couldn't, and she was intelligent enough to know such things just no longer held that much attraction for her.

Not for the first time, she wondered if maybe she should seek professional help. But she just couldn't see it. Maybe Robin knew someone who treated metahumans….but she doubted they'd be able to help her. Besides, what could they do? Prescribe her medication? She didn't want to be all pilled up.

But surely she had to do something. She was losing interest in just about everything, including her duties as a Titan. She might feel morally ambiguous about fighting crime and all that, but one thing she was sure of was, she didn't want people thinking of her as the _lazy_ Titan.

And Garfield and Terra's wedding was coming up. She'd already promised to be one of the Maids of Honor there. She really didn't want to let them down.

"Miss Kitten?" Angelique's voice sounded from just outside her door. "Are you in there?"

She rallied, sitting up on her bed. "Yeah, kid. C'mon in."

Angelique entered Kitten's room cautiously, almost as if she were afraid of something. "Are-are you alright, Miss Kitten?"

Kitten smiled, brushing a rogue strand of hair back over her ear. She'd developed a kind of sisterly bond with the girl, but she honestly couldn't say who'd adopted whom. "Yeah, kid. I'm alright. Well, as alright as I usually am. What's going on with you?"

Angelique came over and sat on the carpet in front of her. She hesitated for a long moment. Then, "I asked Father Alpha today about, you know, if there was some way to, to bring somebody back."

Bring somebody back? What was she—"I'm not sure what you mean. You mean, like finding someone?" Kitten knew Angelique was determined to find her mother, from whom she'd been taken, some years before, by some pedophiles. Fortunately, she'd managed to escape from them before they'd actually done anything to her, but just taking her from her mother had been traumatic enough. Kitten could relate.

"No, I meant, like, bringing somebody back from," and here she pointed towards the ceiling. "You know. Bringing them back from _up there_."

Up there? Oh. "Kid, I really don't think you need to worry," Kitten reassured the little girl, "From what you've told us, your mom was young and in good health. We'll find her, but it may be, like, she, I dunno, maybe left the country for some reason. Sometimes people do that. But we'll find her. I don't think she's, y'know, _up there._"

Angelique knelt on the carpet in front of Kitten, sitting on her heels in the traditional Osiran kneeling posture. She seemed not to want to meet Kitten's eyes. "Thank you, Miss Kitten. But I wasn't talking about my mom. I was talking about Mr. Omega."

Again oh. "But….you barely knew him. I mean, you met him once…"

"But he's your boyfriend. And, and ever since he, y'know, went _up there_, you've been…." The child hesitated, then threw caution to the winds. "I don't wanna lose you, Miss Kitten!"

Lose her? Whatever was the girl talking about? Then it hit her…

Ever since her transformation, Kitten's mind had been working like an overclocked computer. She no longer needed a calculator for most everyday problems; going to the grocery store, she automatically _knew_ how much the total bill was going to be, even before she got to the checkout, tax included. And many other things that, previously, she'd have had to deliberate on, long and hard, or even that had previously required the use of her computer, now came to her in a flash. But she was still human (in spite of the red skin, poisoned-stingered tail, and increased abilities), and some things just took longer to percolate through the ol' wetware….

Hadn't she, just the other day, been looking at a big bottle of aspirin and wondering how long it would take to swallow all of them, and what—_someone_—could swallow them with, to take the awful chalky taste out of…_someone's_…mouth? Why had she wondered that?

She got down on the floor and took the little girl in her arms. "Oh, Angelique, you don't have to worry about that! I wouldn't do that to you. I promise. Yeah, I admit, I've been depressed, and God knows I miss him, but I wouldn't….leave you….like that."

Angelique hugged her back, being careful, as always, not to squeeze too tightly. She was a lot more than she looked, having taken advantage of Thinker superscience to rework herself into something far, far more than merely human. She could probably snap anyone this side of Superman himself in half.

But for all her power, she was still a little eight-year old girl, with a little girl's emotions. She buried her face in Kitten's shoulder. "I jus' don't wanna lose you. I've already lost my mom….don't wanna lose my big sister, too."

Big sister. Kitten smiled, a tear tracking down her face, from the corner of her eye. "Well, you're not gonna, not for a long time yet, not if I have anything to say about it. Tell you what." She drew back and looked Angelique in the face. "Tomorrow, let's take Charlie out for a walk in the park. I hear they have a special doggie trail there. He can run and chase all the squirrels and birds he wants to. I might even be able to persuade my dad to come along. We can make a picnic of it. How's that sound?"

But afterward, after a reassured and excited Angelique left, Kitten went into her room's bathroom. There, in the medicine cabinet: a bottle of three hundred fifty aspirin. She hesitated a moment, then poured them all down the toilet. She hadn't needed aspirin—or any other such pain reliever—since her transformation, anyway. Her medicine cabinet was practically bare now, except for a few products of feminine hygiene.

As she poured the contents of the bottle down the commode, she found herself thinking about Omega again, as she seemed to always be doing, these days. Who, really, was he, to her, anyway? Just a guy. A great guy, a guy she had been in love with, yeah, but still, just a guy.

A super guy, who'd seen more in her than the materialistic superspoiled princess others had. A guy who'd gone out of his way, not once, but several times, to help her and her father….

A guy she'd tried to use, but who'd loved her anyway, even after he'd found out.

A guy who…

This wasn't working_._

She finished flushing the aspirin, threw the empty bottle into the trashcan with a little bit more force than was absolutely necessary, and closed the mirrored door to her medicine cabinet.

There was another reflection in the mirror, standing behind her.

Kitten whirled, claws ready, already sparking their electrical discharge. If some creepazoid had sneaked into her room, he was in for a shock, in the most literal sense of the word.

There was nobody behind her in the room.

Cautiously, she looked around. Could someone have hidden himself that quickly? She glanced back at the mirror. There he was, apparently standing behind her, just outside the doorway of her bathroom.

She looked back carefully, keeping the mirror in her field of view. There was nobody behind her in the room. But his image was still there, in the mirror.

In appearance, he was a short, somewhat stocky individual, wearing what appeared to be a medieval monk's robe, rust-red in color, tied with a rope around the middle, hands tucked in opposing sleeves. The hood was pulled back, so that his head and features were fully visible. He had dark hair, somewhat tousled, and rather ordinary, late twenty-something Caucasian features.

But his eyes…..

Kitten couldn't take her gaze off those eyes. It wasn't just that they were red from corner to corner; she'd met and fought beings with such before. Rather, it was that the eyes themselves seemed to contain other eyes, not multifaceted like an insect's eyes, but rather eyes consisting of other eyes, swimming in a sea of red. And those eyes contained other, still smaller eyes within them, like an infinite regression effect. Except it was _in his freakin eyes._

The image in the mirror looked at her, his expression somewhat bemused. Kitten couldn't help but feel a shiver that left goosebumps on her arms. Those eyes didn't look like they belonged to anything of this universe. Or anything even remotely sane.

By human standards.

(But she had to admit, if only to herself, it _was_ a _bitchin'_ effect.)

"Let me guess," she said, controlling herself with an effort, "You would be the entity Omega spoke of, the universe-devouring critter. Am I right?"

The image in the mirror bowed. "In the flesh. Well, actually, in the mirror, but you know what I mean. And may I say I'm impressed? Not only at your deduction, but also your self-control. Many other beings would not have taken my showing up this way so well, Catherine."

Kitten ground her teeth. "_Kitten._ It's _Kitten._ _No_body calls me Catherine."

The being sighed. Kitten could clearly hear the sound coming from the mirror, although it seemed to come from a greater distance than was apparent. "Oh, very well. _Kitten._ I suppose it matters little what you elect to call yourself."

Kitten straightened up. If this thing thought he was gonna scare her with some funhouse eyes, he had another think coming. "I presume," she began, "that you're appearing tonight in my mirror for a reason. Unless this is your version of Jay Leno, which I kinda doubt."

The being inclined his head. "Again, I'm impressed. And, no, this meeting is definitely not for entertainment purposes. Actually, I've come to, well, to hire you, really."

"Hire me? For what?"

"I need something done, and, for reasons it would be clumsy to go into right now, I can't do it myself. Not as well as you could, at least."

Kitten moved back from the mirror, into her bedroom, never taking her eyes off the image in her mirror. "Hate to burst your bubble, but I've already got a job. And, from what Omega told me about you, I'm not sure I'd want to work for you, anyway."

"Let me guess. He told you I devour universes, right?"

"I believe the term he used was, 'assimilate.'"

"A much better term, true. And he probably told you I assimilate individual living beings, as well. Right?"

"Right." Kitten looked around, as casually as she could, for a quick exit.

"So you probably think I'm some sort of being like those half-machine people in that popular television show. Just going merrily around the cosmos, sweeping up anything and everything in my path. Like a, well, like a cosmic vacuum cleaner or something."

"The thought," Kitten admitted, "had contemplated the logistics of making its way across my mind."

"Well, put your mind at ease. Yes, I do that, on occasion—when the circumstances dictate its necessity. But I much prefer to assimilate those who accept me, and my goals. Those who wish to join me, quite literally, in my cause, and fight alongside me, in my war."

"Your war?"

"Oh, he didn't tell you about that? Well, he may not have known. I'm currently engaged in a war with an almost indescribably powerful opponent. That's why I do what I do. I'm fighting on behalf of all life, for the betterment of all things. But it's an uphill battle. That's partly why I've come to you, tonight." He paused. Then, he, or his image, rather, turned, and gesturing to the reflection of the chair in her room, said, "Mind if I sit down? I've come a long way." Without waiting for her to reply, he plopped down into the overstuffed recliner. Kitten sneaked a glance behind her; the seat in the actual chair wasn't dimpled, as it would be, were there somebody actually sitting in it. For some reason, that disturbed her more than if it had been. "Now, as to why I'm here….I find I have need of a mortal agent to accomplish a certain task. It requires a certain degree of finesse, and, while I could engineer a solution to the problem, it's better if I act through someone on this plane of existence. Someone like you, in other words."

"I _hope_ you aren't about to ask me to help you assimilate this universe. Or anyone in it. 'Cause I won't."

"Oh, no, no, no. Nothing at all like that. No, I simply need something stolen. Stolen from a high-security area, in fact. Stolen, and brought to me, in order to see to its destruction."

_I see where this is going,_ thought Kitten. _I steal this thingy, he destroys it, and it turns out to be the one thing that could stop him from taking over the universe. Or something like that._"Not sure it's for me," she prevaricated, "I've kinda given up on that sort of thing, these days."

"Don't refuse the offer before you've heard me out." The being hesitated, a speculative expression on his face. "There's a human saying: everybody has their price. What would yours be, I wonder?"

Kitten remembered Angelique calling her her "big sister." "I don't think there's any amount of money that could make me turn my back on my friends…." _Or set a bad example for my little sister._

"Then maybe something….more….than money." He got up and approached his side of the mirror, looking intently at Kitten with those scary eyes the whole time. She got the uncomfortable feeling he was seeing more than just the surface, or what she'd call the surface. "Hm. A pall of sadness hangs over you. Yes, yes. I see what you'd really like. Perhaps…perhaps something could be arranged."

"What are you talking about?"

"You miss him, don't you?"

"Who?"

The being in the mirror actually had the nerve to roll those creepy eyes of his. "Santa Claus. Who do you _think_ I'm talking about? _Him._ Omega. Your lover, of course."

Now Kitten turned away. This was getting a little too personal to be discussing with some monster she'd just met. "Yeah, well, forget it. It's impossible. Even the Orb can't bring him back." She thought of the Orb, back at Titans' Tower, holding suspended, in its substance, the reconstituted body of her lover. "He's gone. I just have to get….used to that."

"I see. And how's _that_ working out for you?"

She rounded on the being, this Entity, the temper for which she was justifiably famous finally aroused. "Look," she began, "If you think-*"

"It's possible," he mused, rubbing his chin, "It just might be possible to arrange for his return."

"You're lying!"

"No. What's impossible for you, what's impossible for the Orb, need not be impossible for me. And, frankly, now that I think about it, that would fit in better with some of my long-range plans, as well."

She looked suspiciously at him, intrigued despite herself. "And just how would you do that? I mean, he's gone."

The Entity went back and sat down in the image of the chair. Crossed his legs. Once again, Kitten noted, the real chair showed no signs of occupancy. "It has to do with the manner of his death, the way in which he died. What did he tell you about his series of warriors?"

She was still angry, but she had to admit, the Entity had her attention. "Not a great deal. It didn't seem like something he liked to talk about."

"Probably not. You see, Kitten, what made his series of warriors so invincible, so unstoppable, was the very thing that ultimately led to his own death. But before I tell you about it, I have to, well, educate you a little on what I suppose you might term hypercosmology. What do you suppose exists beyond all reality?"

"What, you mean like, hyperspace, superspace?"

"No, beyond even that. What exists beyond all places, all things?"

"I don't know."

"A timeless, infinite realm. It's a mistake to call it a place, as it exists beyond all places, but for lack of a better term, call it that. There's both nothing and everything there, simultaneously. I call it the Infinite. It's more of a condition than a true place. A condition of endlessness."

"Okay." She could grasp that….barely.

"The ancient Osiran gene-masters managed to tap into that…place that isn't a place. They gave their warriors the ability to connect to it, and to utilize some of the….properties of it, in their actions. However, it proved to be what I suppose you'd call a double-edged sword: it was both a power and a curse. A power, in the sense that, once a warrior engaged this particular function—they called it _ki_—the event they sought to make happen _would_ happen, no doubt. Nothing could stop them. After all, how much power would it take to successfully oppose infinity?

"And a curse in that _they couldn't stop themselves._ The event, the deed they set out to do, would _have_ to happen, no matter what. For that reason, they didn't use it much. And for that reason, they were deemed too dangerous to keep around. After all, a weapon with no 'off' switch leaves a bit to be desired." He paused, a faraway look coming over his features. "It's entirely possible that your Omega rashly utilized his _ki_ back on Osira, in his quest to end the Lords' reign. When he learned of a surviving Lord, here, the curse part kicked in, and, like a post-hypnotic suggestion, led him to do what he did.

"But what he actually did….you see, Kitten, had he simply died from anything like an ordinary explosion, he would be gone, truly and completely gone, beyond all hope of recovery. But what he actually did was….he brought a small piece of the Infinite into the here and now. A very tiny piece, true, but it was sufficient to cross dimensional barriers, even of time and space, and take out anything in the vicinity, no matter how well shielded. No ordinary explosion, no matter how powerful, could have penetrated a Lord's defenses.

"But just as an exploding star explodes both outward and inward….part of that explosion opened up a small portal into the Infinite. And a part of Omega _might_ have slipped through that. If so, that's where he is now."

"So…..exactly what are you saying? That he's alive, somewhere?"

"If I'm right, yes. Now, I have to admit, there's a chance I might not be. But I think I am."

"So…..what, exactly, are you proposing?"

"I can't just go there and bring him back. Even I can't do that. Yet. But, if he's there, he's probably lost. There are literally an infinite number of universes. Even if he should be trying to return, and he probably is, it would take him literally forever to find the right one.

"That is, without help."

"So…you can….help him return? Is that what you're saying?"

"I might can. With a little help from you. I can send out a beacon, I suppose you'd call it, into that timeless void. Something to show him the way back. He could follow it back to this universe….and your arms.

"But I must confess: there's a problem."

"Spill."

The being got up and began to pace across the reflection of Kitten's bedroom in the mirror. Stopped and placed a finger to this mouth, that faraway look still in his eyes. "If he's there, in the Infinite….we don't have forever. Although there's no passage of time in the Infinite, he, as a finite individual, can't last there indefinitely without, well, sort of 'dissolving,' I guess you'd say. A good analogy would be a sugar cube in the ocean. Depending on the temperature of the water, salinity, and other factors, the sugar cube will dissolve, in time. And once he's dissipated ….there's no bringing him back. At all. Ever. So that's a factor to consider."

Kitten thought hard. "And, all you want is something stolen?"

"Stolen and brought to me, yes."

"And in return, you'll bring Omega back?"

"I'll send out the beacon, yes. He'll be able to follow it back here."

Still she hesitated. What she was being asked to do was a crime, after all. The Titans _fought_ crime. How could she reconcile that? She sure didn't want to set a bad example for little Angelique. Nor did she want the others condemning her….

"If it makes it any easier," he said, sensing her thoughts, "my only other solution—I'm running out of options, not to mention time, too, as I have some other things I have to attend to—is to macro-engineer a solution. I would really rather not do that."

"Why not? What do you mean, 'macro-engineer' a solution?"

He paused, a contemplative look coming over his features. "Probably a meteor strike. A small one. Maybe thirty, forty yards in diameter. Of course, it'll impact in a densely populated area. I'm sure there would be…collateral damage. Deaths of innocents. I'd like to avoid that, if possible. But I've already spent too much time on this matter as it is; I can't afford to take any longer with it.

"So either you help me in this, or I have to start throwing rocks."

She shook her head. "The Justice League would never let your meteor get within a million miles of Earth."

"If they saw it coming, true. But I'm fairly good with illusions and invisibility. Or, I could instigate an earthquake. That, however, might prove even more devastating, especially one of sufficient magnitude to ensure the object's destruction. So actually, by helping me, you'd really be saving lives."

"And all you want is something stolen? That's it?"

"Stolen, and brought to me, yes."

Well, why not? Maybe a challenge would be just the thing to bring her out of the doldrums. "What the hey. I'll do it. Now. About bringing Omega back…."

"Yes, let's talk about that. I can, if you'll agree to my terms, send out the beacon right now, from right here. That really would be best, since there's no way of telling how much longer he has there. If he's been exerting himself, moving around, trying to find the way home, he may've expended a lot of his energy and shortened his time."

"And your terms?"

He approached the mirror from his side again. Spread his hands. Kitten noted that the palms were wrapped in what appeared to be leather thongs. Strange. "Accept my _geas._ You are familiar with the term?"

"Geas? You mean, like a, a compulsion?"

"Yes. Sort of like a post-hypnotic suggestion that you do this job, steal the object, and bring it to me without delay or," and here he narrowed his eyes at her, "trying to milk the deal for more than we agreed upon. Yes, I've done my homework. Humans are somewhat notorious for doing things like that, you have to admit."

"I don't like the idea of being _compelled_ to do something…."

"Few people do. But, really, Kitten, you'd really be doing your world a great service, and not just in terms of averting a catastrophe. This object—this artifact—doesn't belong on your world, the world of mortals. It poses no danger to me, but it needs to be destroyed before some human uses it and causes untold misery."

"So you say."

Again he spread those curiously wrapped hands. "What can I say, Kitten? I know we've just met, and you've no reason to trust me, but I'm running out of options, and I've really no reason to lie to you. Not about this. _I've_ come to _you_, asking _you_ for _help._ Not the other way around." For the first time since he'd appeared, his face looked completely open and sincere.

But Kitten still had her doubts.

"Well, I've already said I'd do it. So I guess I'm in. What is it, and where is it?"

"As to what it is, you're really better off not knowing. Just knowing a thing can be done often makes it possible for someone with the right skill set to recreate it. Besides, and please trust me on this: what it does isn't pretty. Or really all that useful."

"So….I accept your compulsion to do this….say, you wouldn't be having me kill anyone, would you?"

"The _geas_ would only compel you to steal the artifact, and bring it to me. How you do it would be up to you. Anything that happened along the way would be of your own choosing. You would not be _forced_ to kill."

"Yeah," she began, "but the way these things usually go, I get caught, I'm on my own. So it pays to be cautious about what I agree to."

"On the contrary. You get caught, and not only will I get you out, I'll see to it everybody knows you were acting under compulsion from me. Involuntary compulsion, at that: I waylaid you and cast some sort of spell on you when you weren't looking. I'll take the blame for the whole thing. I take care of my own, Kitten."

Well. That was…unexpected. She still didn't know whether or not to believe or trust the Entity—she was leaning towards probably _not_—but…..

If it would bring Omega back….

And it would save lives, in the long run. Kitten knew she wasn't a killer, anyway. She knew she'd never voluntarily take a life.

And it would bring Omega back…

Plus this doohickey was dangerous, the Entity said. To humans. So, whether or not anybody ever realized it, she'd actually be doing a good deed here….

Plus it would bring Omega back…

"How likely am I to go up against the Titans, in this? 'Cause I won't, I can't fight them."

"How you steal it is up to you. But…tell you what. Rather than have you go it totally alone….maybe there's someone I can send to help you. An able assistant, so to speak. I have just the very person in mind. He has a great deal of experience in these matters, and can probably help you remain undetected. Also, worse comes to worst, he could run interference for you. How does that sound?"

"Better. Who is it?"

"Slade Wilson. Though I haven't approached him yet…"

"_Slade Wilson?!_ Are you crazy? Don't answer that. I heard what he did to Terra! Not to mention putting nanoprobes in Angelique's puppy."

The figure in the mirror shrugged. "Flawed instruments can still work, Kitten, at least, in the short term. And you have to admit, he does have the expertise you need. And the resources."

"Expertise, right. Alright. You won't tell me what this thing is. _Where_ is it?"

He told her.

Kitten fell back into the chair. "Whoa. You….don't ask much of a girl, do you?"

…..

The man who went by the name of Slade Wilson had definitely seen better days.

He'd been a strapping two-hundred sixty pounds of solid, enhanced muscle. Now he was down to about one hundred seventy-five. His uniform hung on him, resembling a shapeless sack more than anything. Every joint hurt, and things he used to laugh off now crippled him.

And all because he'd placed nanoprobes in Angelique's dog, Charlie.

Her adoptive father, the Osiran Thinker called Alpha, had learned of this, and examined the probes. Unlike Angelique, he wasn't fooled by Slade's protestations of "only wanting to help." Instead, he'd turned around and "infected" _Slade_ with the very same probes. A taste, so to speak, of his own medicine.

Bad medicine.

_Guess I didn't build very good probes,_ thought Slade, _As they're certainly doing a number on me._ The probes had taken over a part of his immune system….and weren't up to the job. In a sense, Slade had a kind of artificially induced AIDS.

He'd sent Cinderblock out for pharmaceuticals not long ago. Cinderblock had never returned, no doubt due to the machinations of the Titans.

"Slade Wilson." The voice sounded behind him.

Slade turned around. He didn't whirl around like he might once have. He couldn't. And, truth to tell, he really didn't care if somebody had penetrated his lair or not, anymore. He had bigger worries, these days.

Behind him was a somewhat short, stocky individual wearing a medieval monk's robe, rust-red in coloration, tied with a rope. Slade noted the eyes…..he wondered if the nanoprobes had gone so far as to affect his mind. He wouldn't doubt it. Nobody and nothing had eyes like that. "Let me see," he began, "You're the devil, come to bargain for my soul. Am I right?" If this was a dream or hallucination, he may as well play along with it.

"Not even close. I don't want your soul. Not today, anyway. I want your service. I wish to hire you, Slade Wilson, for a job you are uniquely qualified to do."

Slade laughed a dry laugh that ended in a hacking cough. "You flatter me. But you're far too late. I'm in no condition to do any of the things I used to do. As you can no doubt see." And he gestured to his withered frame.

"Tsk. A minor detail." The being cocked his thumb at Slade, and immediately, Slade's body tingled as he began to fill out. Within seconds, he was back to his old self again, feeling like new. Wonderingly, he looked down at his arms and legs. He'd resigned himself to wasting away, here in his lair….now, for the first time, he entertained the possibility, the merest possibility, that he might not only live, but actually recoup what he'd lost. It was an intoxicating feeling.

Then he remembered: nothing comes without a price.

He narrowed his one eye at the stranger. "So….you said you wish to hire me? I take it this is a taste of the payment? Or part of it?"

"Part of it. Do this job for me, and your current good health is yours to keep. Plus, of course, whatever other remuneration we agree upon." The being shrugged. "Refuse, and you can go back to wasting away here in your lair. Dreaming of your days of glory."

"You don't leave me much choice."

"Not my style."

Slade rubbed his wrists. It felt so good to….feel good again. "What's the job?"

"You are to assist and protect my agent in a simple job. A theft of an artifact. That's all. Oh, and you see to it that said artifact is brought to me. To me, and to me _only._ I don't take kindly to those who try to cheat me."

"Fair enough. What do you want stolen?"

"As to what it is, that need not concern you. I will tell you exactly where it is, and what it looks like. Its function, however, is not important. Assist and protect my agent in this mission, Slade Wilson, and I will see to it that you are handsomely rewarded. Yes, very handsomely rewarded, indeed." The being reached into his robe and pulled out…..

…..a solid gold ingot, nearly the size of a cinderblock. Slade's eye widened as he took it in. The being drew forth another one. And another. Levitated them onto the ground in front of Slade. "Go ahead. Examine them. Make sure they're not some illusion."

Slade hefted one of the golden bricks. It was certainly heavy enough; even now, his health fully restored, it was like lifting a boulder. It certainly _seemed_ real. This much gold—if it was real—would be worth billions, at least. "You must want this artifact very badly."

"I very much want for humans not to have it. It would only create more misery, left here. There's enough of that in the world as it is. So. Are you in?"

Slade remembered how horrible he had felt, only a few minutes ago. Compared to that, even the gold in his hands was of secondary importance. Very secondary. "I'm in. So where _is_ this artifact, anyway?"

The Entity told him. Slade found himself back in his chair. "You….don't think small, do you?"

….

"Alright," Kitten said, straightening her shoulders, "You said you needed my help to send out this beacon?"

"Yes. Just step up here to the mirror, and we'll begin. Now. Place your hands on the mirror over my hands….yes, just like that. Now….hold on….." And, through the cold glass surface, Kitten could feel a build-up of raw power such as she'd never felt before, never even imagined possible before. In the mirror, the being's eyes were closed, and his face was showing signs of strain; he seemed to be putting a lot of effort into this. But there was more.

They appeared to be linked, in some strange way, and Kitten could sense what the being, this Entity was feeling, at least on a superficial level. And, over and above the incredible power he was exerting, she could feel a kind of strange sincerity: he _wanted_ this to work. Maybe he had his own reasons, but he _sincerely wanted to bring Omega back._ And it wasn't just a question of getting her to do this job; _he_ _really_ _wanted to help her_. "Now, Kitten! Picture him in your mind, as you knew him! Make it as real as possible, and hurry! I can't maintain this level of exertion for long!" And she could sense the indescribable power he was pouring into this effort; exploding galaxies would be as sparks by comparison. A beam, twisting and stretching, snaking out beyond all that was….. She pictured Omega in her mind, the way he moved, the way he talked, the way he laughed, even….

"Kitten! It's not working! For some reason, he's reluctant to come back!" The Entity paused, the stress evident on his face. "_Talk_ to him!"

"Talk to him? What do I say?"

"Use your imagination! Say _some_thing!"

Kitten reached out with her mind, striving to contact him. He _had_ to be out there somewhere. He _had_ to come back to her. "Omega! It's me, Kitten! Come on back!"

From beyond the farthest edge of reality: "_**Kitten**__?__"_

"Yes, it's me! Come on back! We can't hold this beacon much longer!"

" _Maybe better….I should go…cause too much trouble…..."_

"Omega! Don't you dare even _think_ like that!" And, in her mind, she showed him how _she'd_ been, these last few weeks: her depression, the Titans calling her to see what was wrong, Angelique, now a friend, dropping by, saying she didn't "wanna lose her big sister"….

…the aspirin in her medicine cabinet, and what she'd half-planned to do with them….

"_No!"_

"Then get your Osiran butt back here! NOW!"

"_I….am on my way….hold on…."_ And the contact was lost.

Kitten and the Entity stepped back, both exhausted from the effort. Kitten looked around. "I—I don't see him…."

The Entity seemed to be doing the equivalent of catching his breath, rubbing his wrists in the mirror. "It won't be instant, Kitten. But the connection has been established into the Infinite. Since there's no passage of time there, it'll last. Now all he has to do is, follow it to the right universe."

"What if he gets the wrong universe?"

"He won't. But even if he did, he wouldn't be able to remain there, as it wouldn't be _his_ universe. It's hard to explain, but traveling into another universe requires a certain amount of….preparation. You can't just stumble into one. If you do, you, well, sort of bounce back, eventually. Usually instantly. Otherwise, you'd be turning a corner every day, and finding yourself in some other reality, like an old episode of 'Twilight Zone', or something. In his case, he'd 'bounce back' into the Infinite."

Okay. Time for her part. "Well. Here we go, I guess. What do you want me to do? How do we go about doing this?" Inwardly, she cringed at the thought of accepting the Entity's _geas_, his compulsion, but she had agreed. But it still seemed like some sort of violation of her, somehow. She felt more than naked, in a weird sort of way.

He sensed her thoughts. "Kitten, what I'm asking of you isn't some awful fate, some takeover of your mind and will, or anything like that. I don't want to overpower your own mind; that would turn you into a mindless zombie, and, one, that isn't what I want for you, anyway, and two, it would be counterproductive. I want, no, I _need_ you to exercise your own talents to the fullest, not be a puppet on a string. That wouldn't help either one of us at all.

"Now. We can do this either of two ways. I can put the _geas_ on you now, and you'd have about a year to complete the theft. And, as I said, you do it any way you want, any way you'd see fit. Or, if you like, we can wait until Omega actually returns. _Then,_ I'd have fulfilled my part of the bargain to the max. And then, and only then, you'd accept my _geas._ This has the added benefit of not obligating you to anything, should he, for some unknown reason, not return. Which one sounds best to you?"

"How do you know I'd agree to accept your _geas_ once he's back?"

"Let's just say I trust you."

Kitten thought hard. A part of her really wanted to put off this _geas_ thing as long as possible, but she had made a bargain. And there was no doubt in her mind that the Entity had done his best to live up to his end of it; she'd sensed the enormous power he'd used, to make that beacon.

There was another factor. If she did it now, maybe she'd have it done by the time Omega got back. That way, he need never know she'd committed a crime. Maybe. Besides, anything else was just putting off the inevitable. She had little doubt that, "trust" aside, the Entity had some no doubt unpleasant ways of dealing with those who didn't live up to their bargains. She shrugged. "No time like the present, I guess. Lay it on me." And she closed her eyes and steeled herself…

"It's done. There. Now, did that hurt?"

She felt herself, turning her senses inward, searching for something abnormal. She still felt just the same, no real difference. "I—I don't feel any different…."

"I told you, I wasn't here to override your mind. This is just a subtle thing. But you have a year. I'll be in touch." And with that, the Entity's image in the mirror faded away, like a heat mirage disappearing in the desert.

Kitten sat, thinking for a long, long time.

…

Slade sat in his lair, thinking. What the Entity had tasked him with was no small thing, no minor pilfering. Oh, no. This object, whatever it was, was in one of the most heavily guarded areas on Earth. Slade had once hacked the Pentagon's security system, in order to learn the whereabouts of a certain individual. That had been a cakewalk compared to what he now faced.

But nothing on Earth was completely burglar-proof, he reminded himself. And, all he had to do was contact this agent he was supposed to work with…..with a start, he realized that he'd been so enthralled with the challenge of stealing something from one of the most heavily fortified strongholds on Earth, that he had forgotten to inquire as to just who this agent was.

Well, presumably, he, she, or, conceivably , it would contact him, when the time was right.

_To be continued….._

_Please read and review!_


	2. Chapter 2: Forebodings

Tales of the Teen Titans: Godwar, Part 1: the Contract, chapter 2: Forebodings

Titans' Tower, the next day: Kitten arrived early and sat in her usual seat. Most of the Titans lived there in the Tower, and so they'd come to combine breakfast with morning report. Kitten and Angelique were the only ones who didn't actually live in the Tower itself.

Kitten noticed Cyborg frowning over something on the stove. Curious, she got up and went over to see. "Something wrong?"

"Er, no, just…I don't recall this part from the recipe."

"What are you trying to cook?"

"Some of Gar's tofu breakfast delight, or whatever he calls it. Thought I'd surprise him for once. But I don't recall what to put in next."

"Mind if I help?"

"Not at all." He moved aside to let her in.

She took a look—and a sniff—at what was already in the pan. "Hm. Let's try some paprika. Just a little…" Between the two of them, they steadily made what they hoped was progress towards preparing at least an edible dish. After all, Garfield wouldn't be the only one eating it; Terra would also select this, as she was trying to align her eating habits with his. _Must be tough, giving up meat,_ thought Kitten with a wry smile. _Not sure I could do it._ Still, she imagined, being in love brought about some changes…..

And what about her? Maybe she'd have to make some changes, herself, when Omega finally returned. Would he be the same? But how could he be different? On the other hand, he'd actually _died_, and been trapped in an indescribable nothingness/everythingness, without time….who knew what he'd experienced there? Could all that have affected him somehow? She hoped not. She wanted him back, just the way he had been, cluelessness and all.

In the frying pan, the concoction they were producing was actually smelling pretty good. Kitten took an experimental bite. "Hm. Not bad. Tofu tends to take on the flavor of whatever it's being cooked with…..maybe just a _little_ too much pepper…let's try to balance that with some salt." She added a very little sea salt to the mixture.

Cyborg glanced at her. "I didn't know you could cook, Kitten."

"Girl of many talents, that's me. Truth is, I have to cook. My dad can rearrange a bug's genetic structure in his sleep, but he gets lost warming up a can of tomato soup. I mean, I love him dearly, but I've seen him burn water. It actually burst into flame. I've never figured out just exactly how he did that, but he managed it somehow. So I _had_ to learn. Mickey D's gets old after a few years."

Victor Stone laughed. "Well, I can sympathize. I've never done _that,_ but I've come close, a couple of times. Guess he's lucky to have you to do the cooking." He was visibly restraining from asking the obvious question right on the tip of his tongue: _What about your mother? What happened to her?_

Kitten saw the question burning behind his one human eye, and ever so casually ignored it. There might come a time when she'd tell her new friends what had happened, why her mother was no longer with them…..but it wasn't today.

Raven entered, drawn by the savory smells coming from the kitchen. "Kitten? You're cooking?"

"Only assisting. The chef of the day is Cyborg, here. But I'm not above it. What would you like?"

"Uhm, eggs, I suppose. Over easy?"

"Comin' right up." And it wasn't long before she plopped a plate of fried eggs down in front of the sorceress. "You know something my dad likes? Don't know if it's your thing or not, but…he likes to sprinkle wheat germ over 'em. I think I saw some here. Wanna give it a try?"

Raven looked at her with newfound respect. Anybody who knew their way around a kitchen _that_ well…. "Sure." Kitten hunted around in the cupboard and found the jar, put it down on the table in front of Raven.

Raven picked up a fork, but then paused and shot a long look at Kitten. "Kitten? Do you feel alright?"

"Sure, how are-*" That's when Kitten stopped, and did a double-take. _Raven_, actually _asking_ someone how they _felt_? "Uhm, sure. I mean, yeah…." Privately, her mind was racing: could the Entity's _geas_ be somehow visible to the sorceress?

"It's just, you seem…." The sorceress trailed off, unsure as to how to continue.

"Oh, well. Yeah, I've been, y'know…." She started to say "a bit down," but that was like calling cardiac bypass surgery a hangnail.

"Well, if you….would like to talk about it sometime….you know where to find me."

Kitten's eyes almost bulged out of her head. Raven, the famous Miss People-Come-People-Go, actually _offering_ to be a shoulder to cry on? Maybe she should check the basement for pods. "Uhm, thanks. Maybe—maybe I will. Sometime." She sweated bullets while Raven made eye contact for a moment longer, then breathed a silent sigh of relief when she turned back to her food. What had _that_ been all about?

The others entered while Raven munched appreciatively on her eggs. "Okay, people," began Robin,"I've had a long talk with Batman. Seems we've more company upstairs." As he spoke, Angelique entered, flying into the open window and morphing into human form with the ease of much practice. "There's this huge crystal sphere in orbit that seems to either contain or be a being of immense power. It knocked J'onn for a loop, and you know that takes some doing. It _says_ it's here to prevent some _other_ creature from wreaking havoc, but that doesn't necessarily mean everything's roses with regards to _it._ It could easily steamroller some innocents along the way."

"I know what you're talking about, Mr. Robin," said Angelique. "Father Alpha was talking about it the other day. Some sort of weird crystal. The Kindred have never seen anything like it before."

"Can they tell anything about it?"

"No. Only that there's some sort of intelligence behind it, some sort of energy field. But that's really all we know. Our sensors can't really sense anything about it."

"Da—uh, I mean, drat. I was hoping your people could've told us something."

"One thing Father Alpha did mention: there's some evidence that there's a…I dunno, a _presence_ associated with it somewhere in this city. We couldn't tell just where; only that there's, like, a reflection of the same power in the sphere here. Or was."

"Hm. No idea where it could be? Or what it could be doing? Or even what it would look like?"

"No. Sorry."

"That's okay, Angelique. That's still more than we knew before. The way these things go," he continued, "it's probably disguised itself somehow. If not, I'm sure we'd have heard about it by now. Raven? What about the Orb? Can it tell us anything?"

Raven closed her eyes for a moment. Then, "No. It, too, noticed the sphere, and sensed the lifeform. But it's as much in the dark as we are, as to where and what it could be. One thing," and here she paused, steepling her fingers in front of her; she'd finished her eggs sprinkled with wheat germ long ago (and they'd actually been rather good: a crunchy oat-like taste combined with the soft peppered egg. Raven decided to learn how to cook, herself, someday soon. Her last attempt had been, uhm, somewhat less than completely successful), "it seems to be of a very high order of being. But I guess we ought to expect that sort of thing by now." She leaned back and sighed. "We never seem to get underpowered beings coming through here. Be a nice change of pace if we did."

"That would make it way too easy." Robin rubbed his eyes as he watched Starfire go over to the stove and begin to cook. He still couldn't get used to Starfire, _Starfire_, of all people, actually _being a good cook._ It wasn't that he doubted her intelligence or ability or anything. It was simply that he could remember all those hideous fungal dishes that she, fortunately, appeared to've forgotten.

"Mmmm, everybody! What smells so good?" Beast Boy and Terra entered, hand in hand, as they always seemed to be these days.

In response, Cyborg wordlessly served them two plates of the concoction he and Kitten had prepared. "Is this….is this what I think it is, Cy?" Beast Boy looked stunned. _Cyborg,_ the original carnivore, the Titans' own stainless steel T-Rex, actually cooking _tofu?_ The universe hadn't come to an end while they slept, had it?

"Well, I hope so. I did my best; Kitten helped. My first endeavor at a tofu dish. See how ya like it."

Terra took a bite. "Hm. Not bad. Try some, Gar. It's good." They both chowed down like they were starving. As usual.

Hank entered and took his seat by Raven. "Boy. Something sure smells good."

"Breakfast of champions. Name your pleasure." Cyborg was still by the stove.

"Let me help." Hank got up and began foraging through the cupboards, seeing what ingredients were available. "Hm. I'll have to restock some things. Lessee….anybody up for omelets?"

While they ate, Robin filled in the latecomers on the news about the crystal sphere. "So, so far it hasn't done anything. But we need to remain on alert. Though from what Batman was telling me, if worse comes to worst, this won't involve just us. They're calling in the entire roster, everyone who's ever been in the League, putting 'em all on standby, just in case. Omega level alert, condition yellow. Angelique, I know your folks aren't really a part of the League or anything, but you might want to alert them that there could be trouble. And, if they're willing, we might could use their help. Plus, we're willing to help _them_ in whatever way we can, should the need arise."

"I'll ask Father Alpha. I'm sure he'd be willing to help, if it's as bad as you say it is. And, I'll let him know about your offer." Privately, she had few doubts that the Kindred wouldn't think very highly of the human offer of _help,_ but she hoped they'd see it as the nice gesture it was. She really wanted to introduce her Kindred family to her new friends, someday soon.

"Well, I _hope_ this is all a false alarm. I hope these two wrestle it out between themselves without involving us. But, of course, that's not the way it usually goes. We have to prepare for a worst case scenario.

"Okay. Now let's see what reports we have…..hm. Not a whole lot of extranormal activity. We'll pair up and set out. Starfire, you're with me, of course; we'll cover the west; Hank, you and Raven cover the eastern side; Beast Boy, you and Terra take the north. Cyborg, why don't you and Kitten take the south side? And, oh, before I forget: Angelique? You wanna go with Cyborg and Kitten?"

"Oh, yes! Thank you, Mr. Robin!" Robin knew how attached Angelique had become to their former nemesis, now an ally.

"Just remember: be careful. If there is something out there that came out of that sphere, it's plenty powerful. _Don't_ try to engage it on your own—if you come across anything suspicious, anything that looks at all likely, call the rest of us. And we may have to call in the League. Whatever this thing is, it's probably beyond us, anyway. Way beyond. So we're playing scout, for right now. Of course, it goes without saying that you should respond appropriately to any ordinary, or even non-ordinary crime you may come across. Alright. Any questions? Okay. Let's go!"

….

Tara Zharkov, Terra's clone, was bored stiff. And heartbroken. It made for a really bad combination.

She'd signed on with Titans East in order to learn how to use her earthmoving powers. That was actually going rather well; she'd developed a lot of control over them in the past few months. Considering that, not all that long ago, she hadn't even been aware she'd even _had_ powers, that was a huge improvement. But she was intelligent enough to know that she still had a long ways to go.

But none of that was of any help in solving her personal problem.

Lying on her bed, in her room at the Tower of Titans East, there in Steel City, she turned over and sighed. Beast Boy. _Why_ wouldn't he return her calls? Okay, so maybe she _was_ making a bit of a nuisance of herself, but she loved him! She'd do anything for him! Why, oh, why couldn't he _see_ that?

It was all that whore Terra's fault. No doubt she was banging him every night. Using him, probably for his money or something. She didn't love him; she _couldn't_ love him. Not like Tara did.

Tara sighed again. It really didn't make much difference. She'd actually tried to get interested in other boys—Speedy, in particular, had hit on her more than once (They didn't call him "Speedy" for nothing, she thought with a wry smile)—but somehow, she just couldn't. Even Aqualad, with his superb swimmer's bod, just couldn't hold a candle to her One True Love. So where did that leave her?

Out in the cold, that's where. No Beast Boy. No One True Love. Yet again she sighed. Best to get ready for bed. Alone. Again. But just as she was about to get undressed, her phone rang.

She picked it up. Unknown number? She thought she had it set to refuse unknown and private numbers….then she remembered one time when she'd gotten that message, and it had been Beast Boy calling her, somehow.

She hit the "answer" button. "Yes?"

"_Tara? It 's me, Beast Boy."_

"Beast Boy! Garfield…I've been trying to call you for ages! Why haven't you called me back?"

"_I'm sorry, Tara, but Terra was watching my every move. I've only now been able to sneak away from her. I've come to my senses, now. I know you're the one for me. The only one. Do you still feel the same about me?"_

Tears blurred her eyes. Finally. "You know I do. I'm yours, completely and totally, now and forever."

"_And I'm yours, forever, as well. But we'll have to be careful. The others would never understand. That includes Titans East: you can't let them know anything. Terra's poisoned all their minds against you, saying you're some sort of horrible person. Can you meet me at the old warehouse on 36__th__ Street? Alone?"_

"You know I can, darling. I'd go to the ends of the Earth, and beyond, for you. When should I be there?"

"_How does ten pm sound?"_

"Better than okay! It sounds great! I'll be there."

"_Good. And we can…you know….leave. I've got money. There's lots of places we can go, to get away from the others. We'll start a new life, all over again, somewhere far away, just the two of us, where they'll never find us. And we'll be so very happy together, you and I."_

Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks by this time. After all this time….."I'll be there, sweetheart. And, like you say, we'll—we'll go away. Far away. And it'll be so very good, you'll see. You won't regret it for a second, I promise."

"_I've no doubt of that, Tara, my love. It's…it's been hell without you. I've dreamed of you every night, and couldn't stop thinking about you when I was awake. Being with you, wherever we are, will be paradise. And I promise to always love, honor, and cherish you. Always."_

….

Inside/within the great crystal sphere, the _Starheart,_ as Typhon called it, Missy was getting used to the strange environment she found herself in.

Typhon had explained to her that she wasn't really here, not in a physical way, that what she thought of as her body was an illusion crafted by the sphere/Typhon (there didn't seem to be any real difference between the two), so that she felt like herself. She could look down and see herself. But she knew, on some level beyond what she used to think of as normal thought, that she was actually an energy waveform, within the solid crystal sphere. However, one of the advantages of that was, she could conjure up pretty much anything she wanted to eat or drink with just a thought….and she didn't have to worry about eating too much and getting sick.

Right at this moment, she was working her way through the perfect illusion of some superbly cooked fried oysters, with a side order of onion rings and mozzarella sticks. Typhon was standing over by the edge of the platform where they seemed to be, a crystal flooring that appeared to be suspended in and open to empty space. Missy knew it wasn't, of course, but nothing obstructed her vision. She could clearly see the nightside of the Earth, with the lights of the cities on the North American continent glowing, radiating outward from the major cities, and there, to the northwest, a thunderstorm periodically lit the Earth's clouds and hillsides with flashes of silent light. It all seemed so very far away…..and yet so close.

Typhon turned to her. "Missy? We need to talk."

She finished up her oysters (she had planned on trying lobster next, but that would have to wait), daubed her mouth with a napkin, just like she'd seen people do on the old movies she used to watch, playing on the TV's in the stores and store windows….when the store owners would let her stay, that is. Ladies did that, and Missy wanted to be a _lady_. "Okay. What do you want to talk about?"

He came over and sat across from her at the table where she was sitting. "I was sent here to stop a great evil from bringing harm to your world. So far, I have detected no signs of the creature on your world. But conditions are ripe for it.

"I must find this creature, this horror, before he unleashes terror untold upon this world. Have you heard of anything that might be him?"

"N…no, I haven't. But it might not be on the news. Maybe you should ask the Justice League. If the monster's here, I'm sure they'd know."

"I will check their files. Now. Have you heard reports of anything, or any being, unusual to your world, that might be considered…..godlike? Not just powerful, but All-powerful, perhaps?"

Missy thought, long and hard. She really wanted to help. After all, Typhon was the first real person who'd ever shown anything more than a passing interest in her, or whom she'd let get close enough, emotionally or physically, to matter to her, really. "Not outside of something like church. Do you mean that?"

"No." He rubbed his chin in his hand, thoughtfully. "It would have to be something fairly new. Perhaps a new religion?"

Again Missy thought hard. "Not that I know of. Not, you know, anything really big. In the state where you found me, California, there are new religions springing up all the time, but nothing huge that I've heard of."

"I will check the humans' internet and see." He clasped his virtual hands together on the virtual tabletop in front of him. "What I am looking for would be fairly obvious, however. It is not his nature to hide. But, left on his own, he is very dangerous. You are safe here, but your world—that is not safe. Not at all. Nor will it be safe until he leaves. I am to," and here a cold light came into his dark eyes. A cold, humorless light. "_arrange_ that."

In spite of the fact that there really was no temperature inside the crystal sphere, Missy found herself shivering, slightly.

…

Terra woke up gradually, to realize that Garfield was just now coming back to bed. On some level, she'd felt him leave, but thought nothing of it. Maybe he'd gone to the bathroom or something.

But now, rather than lying back down beside her, as he normally did, he continued to sit up in bed, staring at the blank wide-screen TV, with his knees drawn up to his chest. "Gar? Honey, is something wrong?"

"Yeah."

She waited for him to elaborate. When he didn't, she said, "Well, don't keep a girl in the dark. What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I just woke up a few minutes ago, feeling like somebody was in danger. Can't rest."

"Somebody? You mean like, one of us?"

"Yeah. But I've checked on everybody. Star and Rob are both on-shift and okay; Cyborg's happily tinkering away on the T-car down in his garage, and Raven's in her room, asleep. I could hear Hank sawing logs through his door. But I didn't check on Kitten; maybe I should? And I didn't check on Angelique, but she's probably asleep back at the Kindred's hive. Can't think of anything this side of World War Three that could possibly menace her there. And probably not even that."

Yawn. "You checked on Raven?"

"Stuck my head in her door. She appears to be sound asleep."

"Uh, Gar? Raven always locks her door, doesn't she?"

"Well," He scratched the back of his neck, not meeting her gaze, "I, er, kinda know the passcode."

An arched eyebrow. "You know the passcode to Raven's room?"

He scratched the back of his neck harder. "Uh, yeah. About every three months I haveta sneak in and replace her alarm clock."

"I saw you buy one the other day; I wondered why, since we already have a clock radio. That big mechanical, wind-up thing?"

"Yeah. She goes through 'em regularly. You notice that, about every few weeks, she starts being late for breakfast, missing meetings, things like that?"

"Yeah…."

"Means she's blown up another alarm clock."

Both Terra's eyebrows arched towards the ceiling. "She _blows up_ alarm clocks? How?"

"Dunno. Overwinding, maybe? All I know is, I have to replace 'em periodically. So I learned to sneak into her room, when she's not there, and just put another one out. I'm sure she's guessed it's me, but she's never said anything."

Terra lay back, hands behind her head, chortling. "You and Raven. It's a wonder you two aren't married already."

"Oh, gosh. Please. Don't even joke like that. You've never seen her mad."

"Oh yes I have."

"Yeah, that's right. You have, haven't you? Well, just imagine Raven going through PMS."

"Oh. My. Everluvin'. God."

"Yeah. I love her to death, would do anything for her, she's like a sister to me, but I'll keep my distance, thank you very much."

She reached up and drew him back down to lie beside her. She no longer wore panties or pads to bed under her "Jump City Gremlins" sleep shirt, and he indulged in the sensual feel of her naked body beneath the thin layer of cloth, pressed up against his. "Well, if it's not Raven, or anyone else here, who could it be?"

"That's what's driving me bughouse. I don't _know._" Abruptly, and very reluctantly, he sat up again, fumbling for his T-cell. "Gotta call mom and dad. Just to, y'know, be sure."

_To be continued…._


	3. Chapter 3: Meetings

Tales of the Teen Titans: Godwar, Part 1: the Contract, chapter 3: Meetings

The Hunter starship _Deson_ cruised with the rest of the Hunter fleet, through the condition of altered spacetime commonly called warp space, at a respectable multiple of the speed of light. Within, in his cabin, Talks to God went over the information he'd collected from the lifeless star systems they'd passed through. For the four hundred ninety-eighth time.

It just made no sense. Unless he accepted the notion, the theory, that all their theories about the formation of life were wrong, then, at some point, at least _some_ of those star systems _had_ to have produced _some_ form of life. _ Some_thing. Yet there was nothing.

The Hunters didn't know who the Earthling named "Occam" was, nor anything about his "razor," but they knew the principle: the simplest answer is usually correct. Was it not simpler to assume there had never been any life there in the first place? On the other hand…..

If there had been life in any of those star systems, but was not now, that could only mean one thing: something had happened to it. Something devastating, catastrophic-and something covering a good portion of the galactic arm. Something that had extinguished all life so drastically that no life had been able to arise there since. What could possibly do that?

They had seen no evidence of a war, no evidence of any exploding stars. No evidence of a gamma ray burst, or any of the other things they could think of, that could account for there being no life there.

Perhaps some sort of weapon? The Hunters knew about planet-destroying, and even star-destroying, space-borne weapons systems. They'd encountered some, and had some of their own, though none were currently in production at this time. But they knew the principle behind such things. However, such devices invariably left some sort of scars, some sort of marks. And there had been none. Just lifeless, apparently untampered-with rock, floating serenely in the vacuum of space.

The Hunters, as a race, had very little crime, as humans understood it. But they had some. The lifeless star systems they'd left in their wake reminded Talks to God of a murder scene: too clean, all clues _deliberately_ wiped from the scene. It wasn't rational, he knew, and Talks to God was a very rational being, but he nonetheless couldn't shake that notion.

He checked the fleet's schedule and course, from his terminal: two more star systems to go before they reached the one where _Garfield_ lived, the one with the planet called _Urth._ Before they'd parted company, Talks to God had given Garfield a Hunter comm unit, so that they could communicate, should they get back in range of the planet again.

He very much hoped Garfield would still be there to answer.

…

Kitten was up late, uploading the latest chapter of _ Cellgirl_ onto the netfiction website (and what was that domain name again? Oh, yes: dot net). She had several chapters to go, but they were written already; all they required was to be uploaded into the document manager. She'd learned a while back, not to upload anything until she was ready to post it, since she was always "polishing," making small changes to the wording as she went along. Still, it was looking okay: not all that many comments, but several followers. Hard to get people to review.

But finally she got as much done as she could for tonight. She picked up a piece of paper lying by her computer, on which was written a number. A telephone number. One that, if her "source" was to be believed, nobody else on Earth had. She sighed. May as well get this over with.

She dialed the number, not bothering with any "*67". If her source was right, it wouldn't do any good, anyway. A calm, controlled voice answered. "Yes?"

"Is this Slade Wilson?"

"Who wants to know?"

She drew a deep breath. "The name's…..well, call me Devil Cat. If you're Slade Wilson, we have a mutual, ah, employer."

A pause. "I see. And it seems we have something to discuss. I will give you directions to a place where we can meet….."

"To your lair? Not so fast…"

"Ms. Cat. Do you really think that I'm about to divulge my whereabouts over an unsecured phone line? I was about to suggest somewhere neutral to us both, even though privacy in such places can never be truly guaranteed. Unless you've a better suggestion?"

Kitten ground her teeth. Already, he'd managed to piss her off. "_No_. Let's hear it."

…

The metaphysical presence that was the extension of the Entity's self-awareness hovered over the planet, thinking. So far, he'd managed to conceal his presence from the one who was currently calling himself Typhon, but that wouldn't last long. And, to make matters worse, apparently, the Adversary had taken a _human_ captive. He wouldn't relinquish it until he'd drained the human of every bit of knowledge he or she possessed.

Not that he'd _hurt_ the human. He didn't have to. But he'd have no qualms about doing so if needed, of that the Entity had absolutely no doubt whatsoever. So, ideally, a rescue was called for.

And soon. It wasn't entirely beyond the scope of possibility that, before long, Typhon would have so ingratiated himself into the human's good graces (read: _brainwashed_), that the poor creature wouldn't _want_ to be rescued. That would be, as the recent human saying went, double plus ungood.

Damn Typhon anyway. But of course that was redundant.

…

Kitten's flying platform touched down in the northern (deserted) section of the zoo. She had to admit, this wasn't something she'd have thought of. But after hours, the zoo was a pretty quiet place. It wasn't like there was a lot to steal here. Anybody stupid enough to try to steal a lion deserved everything that happened to him. Besides, the animals themselves formed a kind of natural alarm system.

He was already there, sitting on a bench, his one eye tracking her as she landed. He didn't seem impressed with her flying platform…well, she really didn't expect him to be. But the way he moved his head back and forth…..

Of course. Impaired depth perception. He had to track back and forth so as to determine her distance from him. She carefully suppressed a smile. That was one thing she had over him. "Alright. Here we are," she began. "Now what?"

He stood up. Kitten was impressed despite herself; she couldn't fault him for having the bod. But she knew better than to show it, so she did her best not to seem impressed. Also not to back up or anything: Slade was like a wild creature: he could sense fear. And wouldn't hesitate to make use of that knowledge, she was sure. "My instructions were clear. I am to assist you in the theft of this…artifact we spoke of. Frankly, I was leaving the planning of it up to you."

Kitten looked away, though never taking her eyes fully off of him, and chewed on a lip. "Well, I suppose it goes without saying that I've never burgled the freakin _Vatican_ before."

"If it helps anything, neither have I. And, now that we're here, and have met, so to speak, I feel compelled to point out that there are certain….complications connected with our accomplishing the task set before us. Beyond the obvious, I mean."

"Yeah? Spill."

He eyed her up and down in a totally objective way. "For starters, I recognize you. You're affiliated with the Teen Titans, aren't you?"

"What of it?"

"You—we—will be committing a crime. I don't know what our employer has promised you by means of payment, but I can only guess it must be considerable, to get you to do something like this. Probably something more than mere money. Even as he did me.

"But there are a great many beings out there who would prevent you—us—from accomplishing our goal. Beings of significant…talent, shall we say. Although it's out of his usual territory, Batman comes to mind. I'm honest enough to admit he could easily be a major obstacle.

"And there are those with superhuman senses, such as Superman, the Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, Zatanna and Zatara, Dr. Fate, etc. Not to mention your own teammates. We need to accomplish this in such a way so that they remain unaware of your involvement."

"And, of course, yours."

He spread his hands. "You have to admit, it's a little different for me. I am, after all, a known and wanted criminal. But I am presuming you wish to avoid being painted with that same brush. Again. Oh, yes, Ms. Van Cleer. I know who you are. In spite of the changes in your appearance, your features are of course known to me."

She thought. So much for her secret identity. Not that she'd had much of one before… "Okay. So. You're the one with all the 'expertise.' Any suggestions?"

"One in particular: if you want to avoid detection by any of the beings I mentioned, there is really only one sure way: complete absence of person. In other words, don't be at the place you wish to burgle."

"Well, that's no help. We—I _have_ to be there, in these secret Vatican archives, to get this object." She looked at him suspiciously. "Don't I?"

"There….may be a way to at least minimize your presence there. It's somewhat…drastic, however, and would require no small amount of courage from you. Are you familiar with the concept of parallel universes?"

"Somewhat. How can that help me? What do you have in mind?"

…..

Kitten had to admit: Slade had been right on the money when he called his idea "drastic." And he'd called it when he said it would require some guts on her part.

His proposal was simple, on the face of it: These secret Vatican archives existed here, on this world, yes. But there were many parallel worlds where not only did it not exist, but there was no human civilization at all. Nothing to hinder her, in other words. How could that be used in this situation?

They took a short break, and he returned with a projector-like device. "Something I had the opportunity to appropriate some years ago, but never actually found any practical use for," he explained. "Until now. Basically, a dimensional displacement beam. Any object—or person-within its field of influence is shunted into another, parallel universe. Something like the Justice League's Phantom Zone projector. But rather than being some shadowy realm of eternal imprisonment, this displaces an object—or person-to an Earth-like world, and, moreover, this particular universe seems to operate on a one-to-one, point-to-point correspondence with our own: travel ten yards there, and you can be brought back into our universe ten yards away—without having traveled that same distance on this world, in this reality. Perhaps you see its uses."

"Hm. Yeah. I go into this other dimension just outside the walls of the complex, walk the exact distance and direction to where the artifact is on our world, come back into this universe, pick it up, and repeat in reverse. Clever."

"Of course, I'll have to admit, I've never tried to use it for that, so I don't know how well it'll work. There could be unforeseen complications. But this has the advantage in that it minimizes your presence in a secured area. There would be no danger of you tripping alarms on the way in, though internal security monitors may pick you up, of course."

"Still it's cool, I haveta admit. Alright. You've got the floor plans? Let's go over 'em….."

Almost immediately, there proved to be a complication. The normal Vatican archives, were, of course quite well known to any Google user….but these, the Entity had stressed, were actually disguised as a sanitation and sewage treatment plant. This building housed documents and objects deemed too dangerous for man to even know about, let alone use. It was rumored, some claimed, that no less than Leonardo Da Vinci had personally requested that some of his more outré ideas and inventions be permanently stored there….awaiting the time when they might be needed. Nostradamus had submitted several volumes of prophecies, said others, that he felt were too…..disturbing….for human beings at the present time. The archives were supposed to contain a copy—one of the few in existence—of the _Necronomicon_, as well as the _R'lyeh Text_ and the _Pnakotic Manuscripts_, as well as several others….all books containing forbidden, dangerous knowledge, and for that very reason, beyond price, as there were some who would stop at absolutely nothing, including the utter annihilation of man, to acquire such tomes. Better they be forgotten here…..

And the problem was the artifact was housed in a sub-basement of the same building. "So….just getting into the archives isn't gonna help a whole lot," Kitten mused. "I'd still be on top of the thing, with no way down to it. Unless….."

"Yes?" Slade watched her dispassionately.

"Unless once I'm in that other world, I dig down to the exact depth of the object, _then_ zap back into our universe, grab the thingy, and zap back." She chewed her lip. "That's a lot of ifs, ands, and buts."

"Indeed. The more complications introduced into the plan, the more likely things are to go wrong. And there are already altogether too many variables as it is."

"Have you any better ideas?"

There was a long silence. Then, "No. But we need a Plan B, a fallback plan, or some way to overcome or at least minimize some of the things that can go wrong. And so many things can…" He trailed off, looking the plans over. After a bit, he shook his head. "I can really add nothing to this; too many unknowns. I will have to remain behind to operate, and, if necessary, protect, the displacement projector, so you'll be pretty much on your own in that other world. How will you dig down to this level? I know you have increased strength since your transformation, but that is still going to require a great deal of shovel work."

Kitten smiled. "That's why I won't be using a shovel."

…..

Slade's personal jet was more spacious than the pods on the T-ship, allowing Kitten some room to move. Slade himself…..Kitten had to admit, he seemed to know his business. "I heard about what you did to Terra."

"Did you now." Slade didn't take his eye off the controls.

"Yes. _All_ about it." Fucking a fifteen-year old….Kitten felt her claws extending, all by themselves.

"Ms. Cat. Our mutual employer contacted me because of my experience in covert operations such as these. And that same professional experience is telling me that one sure way to absolutely annihilate any possible chance of success in an endeavor already this uncertain, is to introduce a highly emotionally charged issue into the mix. It may make for a good Hollywood movie, but it real life, it causes a distinct deterioration in the necessary cooperation between the individuals involved. You are not under orders from me—would that you were—but my professional _suggestion_ is to attend to business first, and leave everything else for later resolution." He looked around at her with his one eye. "But of course, you may do as you see fit."

_Damn_ the man! She _hated_ it when he was right!

…..

Damn Typhon anyway. It didn't matter if it was redundant or not, thought the Entity.

The mental presence that was all of himself the Entity could allow to manifest on this planet, at this time, had determined that the Adversary had taken a young homeless girl. Just the sort of thing calculated to infuriate the Entity no end. He wondered if that had been a deliberate choice on Typhon's part. Probably.

He thought about contacting Raven again, at least to let her know what was going on, but refrained. Some part of him felt like he'd really bothered Raven enough. She had enough worries as it was, and, besides, no way did all of them combined have anything like the necessary power to actually effect any sort of real rescue. Telling them about it would pretty much ensure they'd try, with what would surely be disastrous results. He didn't want that. So there really would be nothing to be gained by it, anyway. And his champion wasn't ready….the Entity wasn't about to send his champion into a battle he knew he couldn't win. That would just be stupid.

He _could_ just smash the crystal sphere that currently housed/was Typhon, but knew that wouldn't really affect his Adversary, not in any significant way. On the other hand, it would do a fatal number on the girl, if she was in there. So that was out.

So he followed the Titans as they made their rounds, halfway hoping they'd encounter Typhon, and thus lead him to his enemy, and halfway afraid they would. The Entity wasn't human enough, or even physical enough, to sigh in resignation, but if he had been, he would have. No doubt if and when they found the Adversary, they'd attack. They couldn't know their "best shot," as they liked to call it, would be unlikely to even attract Typhon's attention, unless he just happened to notice. And if he did, he'd probably only be amused. At least, the Entity sincerely _hoped_ so. He didn't like to think what might happen if they actually managed, somehow, to _annoy_ his Adversary.

So for that reason, if no other, he continued to follow them on their rounds. They might need his help.

….

Typhon and Missy materialized in the alleyway she'd been calling home, where he'd found her, before. He looked around, really seeing it for the first time. "_This_ is where you've been living?" He couldn't believe it. No, he _could_, he just _didn't want to._

"Yes, sir. I don't remember what happened to my mom. But we got…separated, I guess." She saw his expression, and took his hand. She could tell he was really upset. "It—it's not so bad. There's food, and I know how to keep away from people, so nobody bothers me."

"Child, you shouldn't _have_ to keep away from people. This is….not the way things are supposed to be. How did all this come about?"

She shrugged. Living here had become the norm for her. "I dunno. But it's not just me. There's others here, living in other alleys, and other places, grownups. I know a few of 'em. They're…they're just people who don't have anywhere else to go."

He squeezed her hand, a human gesture of reassurance he was learning. (And, he admitted to himself, he might well be the one needing reassurance the most, right now.) "Well, perhaps, if I am successful here, we can make some changes in this world, this society, so that such people will have a place to go. But you," he got down on one knee before her, "you have a place to go. You may, of course, leave if you want, but I will not forsake you. Now. Let me utilize my senses for a moment; perhaps I can pick up some trace of my Adversary." And he arose, spreading his hands out to either side of him, closed his eyes, and felt…..

…

Raven and Hank were making their rounds, in the manner that had become customary for them: she, from the air, he from his Hyundai. He'd learned, in the past few years he'd spent with the Titans, to extend his senses, in particular his telepathy, while driving, never losing sight of the road. It required a certain amount of concentration, and discipline, but he was getting better at it.

Raven floated down and got in on the passenger side of his car. Pulled out a soft-drink can from the cooler he always kept on the back seat. "So. You sense anything out of the ordinary?" Unlike her, Hank—Haywire—was a true telepath.

He shook his head. "Nope. Just the usual thoughts, mostly good, some not so good. But nothing out of the ordinary, nothing like what I'm guessing is what we're looking for."

"You probably couldn't sense it anyway. Things like this have a way of, well, hiding isn't the word, since they usually don't care all that much whether they're found or not, but….it's just hard to sense them, sometimes. They're too _different. _And, for all we know, it may well be cloaking itself deliberately in order to protect us. After all, Robin said that just sensing it knocked J'onn J'onnz down, whereupon it immediately pulled back. Or said it did." She shrugged. "It may have some alien sense of morality or something. It's not beyond reason." Privately, she wondered to herself: was this the same Entity that had contacted her, not long ago? Or its enemy, the all-but-infinitely powerful foe it was fighting? Had any of that been real? Or was it all just a dream?

Should she tell the Titans about her experiences in that other world? She hadn't, mostly because it would be….clumsy, somehow.

After all, what, exactly, would she say? "Well, a while ago, I found myself developing feelings for Garfield, so I went to this alternate universe, where I sort of got to know this invisible, seemingly all-powerful Entity who might or might not be the thing we're looking for…." Yeah, "clumsy" pretty well described it.

So….she'd just have do a little "editing" to it, before she told the others. If she told them.

"You're awfully quiet," observed Hank.

"Just thinking," she replied, sipping on her Diet Coke. Hm. That was odd….for a brief moment there, she thought she could sense something overhead, something like a cloud. She extended her supernatural senses into the upper air above her….and found nothing. Not even a wisp of moisture.

But she was sure she'd sensed something, just for a moment…..

Well, maybe it was just her imagination.

"So what's up with Kitten, anyway?" Hank said, calling her attention back to the here and now.

"She called in, took some of her days off. Said she had a project to work on, and that she'd be in touch." Raven shrugged again, sipping on her diet Coke. "Knowing her, it could be anything from building Charlie a new doghouse to the construction of a global satellite defense network." She saw his look. "I wouldn't put it past her. So for right now, it's Cyborg and Angelique, until she gets back. Those two seemed to've hit it off, too." Privately, again, she wondered if she should try to contact the Entity. She really hadn't, since her return; Raven was leery of the creature. It seemed too unpredictable….and way too powerful for her comfort level. True, it had gone out of its way to help her, but she still couldn't help but feel it had done so for its own reasons. She'd "heard" it, in her mind, on that day she'd returned…..did that mean it was here?

Bottom line: Raven was a little bit afraid of the Entity. If it _was_ here…._why_ was it here? And did she really want to know the answer to that?

Almost, almost she started to call out to it, to see if it was at least still there…..but refrained at the last second. No. Some things are best left undisturbed.

…..

A portion of the Entity's presence hovered over Hank's Hyundai. So this was Hank. Not bad, thought the Entity, examining Hank with senses more than sight. She could do lots worse.

The Entity was, of course, vastly experienced when it came to human emotions, having assimilated literally billions of humans, incorporating them into its own unique structure. But even with all that experience to draw upon, the Entity knew human emotions, and the ways of expressing them, can differ radically from one individual to the next. And Raven had additional issues, having been rigorously trained to suppress her emotions. It really couldn't help her, even if she had asked, and, of course, she hadn't. So the polite thing to do was….nothing.

But the Entity chafed somewhat. Raven deserved a bit of happiness, didn't she? And she could be happy, at least, as happy as humans normally get, in her relationship with Hank. There'd be ups and downs, of course, but no more so than anyone else. The Entity was mischievous enough to consider "arranging" a few events….

There! Hank's Hyundai passed by an alleyway, and the portion of the Entity piggybacking on his car was distracted by the ghostly whisper of Typhon's searching senses. Hurriedly, he cloaked it from Raven and Hank; it wouldn't do for them to find his Adversary. No. This was _his_ problem. He floated off the car and into the alleyway.

In the alley, Typhon sensed his ancient enemy. "Missy…He is here. Get behind me. Now." This statement was delivered in such a matter of fact way that Missy immediately scurried behind him, as he turned to face his foe.

The Entity was not physically present, but he could project a solid simulacrum so life-like as to make no real difference. "There you are," he said, just as if he were greeting an old friend. He had to be careful; if any violence started, the girl could easily get caught in the crossfire.

"Here I am." Typhon was completely relaxed, standing in front of Missy, shielding her. His opponent had identified himself, and Typhon could tell not all of the enemy was standing in front of him. But it was enough to cause enormous damage, should matters take a violent turn. He adjusted his stance so as to shield Missy better.

"Let the girl go, Typhon, or whatever it is you're calling yourself these days. She is of no value to you, and can't harm you in any way."

"Release her to you? Highly unlikely. She is under my protection."

"Your _protection?_ I've heard it called lots of things, but never _that_." The Entity pondered the best way to separate the girl from his enemy. She was an innocent bystander caught between two elemental forces. She didn't deserve this.

Missy took in the stocky individual in the monk's robe. Overall, he didn't seem so monstrous. But his eyes….

Even the gods cannot look the Gorgon in the eyes and remain unaffected.

"Mister Typhon? I'm scared." She clung to the back of his jacket.

"You've nothing to fear, child. I will not let him harm you." Still, she fretted. How could she explain, to either of them, that she wasn't so much afraid for herself, as she was for her world? She knew, in some corner of her mind, that these two were more than capable of annihilating everything she knew, with even the most casual exertion of their powers.

She tugged on his jacket. "Can we go back to the _Starheart_? Like, right now? Please?"

He hesitated only a moment. Then, "Very well." To the Entity: "We have met. We will meet again. I have my duty."

"And I, my purpose."

"I suppose then, that we shall see which is the strongest." And with that, Typhon and Missy vanished, teleporting back to the crystal sphere.

The Entity stood there in the alleyway for a moment longer, looking up. Then he sighed. That hadn't gone over very well, but, in truth, he had really expected no better. "We are both liberators, you and I. You liberate them from order. I liberate them from chaos."

"What are you looking at?" Hank asked.

"Thought I saw something down that alley," Raven replied. They both turned their preternatural senses in that direction.

Nothing. Not a shred of any presence, not even a rat sifting through the garbage.

"Must've been my imagination."

_To be continued….._


	4. Chapter 4: Communication

Tales of the Teen Titans: Godwar, Part 1: The Contract, chapter 4: Communication

Nighttime on New Genesis: Highfather Izaya had been sitting out here for a very long time, looking up at the stars overhead. Around his feet, a wild cabbit played; on New Genesis, the animals had nothing to fear, even from each other.

"Father?" Orion joined him on the marble bench. "You've been out here a long time. Is something wrong?"

Izaya smiled at his son, the man, the New God, he'd raised. He might not be Orion's physical father, but that didn't matter to either of them; the bond they shared transcended biology. Then, in answer to the question, "Yes, my son. Something is wrong. But I do not know exactly what."

"Is it Darkseid?" Orion was never slow to doubt his biological father was the cause of whatever distress might be in the offering. And he was seldom wrong.

"That is just it: I do not know. The Source has been unusually quiet lately. Almost too quiet, it seems. Usually, if tensions between New Genesis and Apokolips are about to escalate, it will give some often cryptic warning. Yet there has been nothing." He paused a moment, holding his staff in front of him, and looking up at the multitudinous stars overhead, their glittering pinpoints of light twinkling in the clear New Genesis air. "I find such silence more disturbing than any enigmatic message."

"If it is Darkseid, we will be ready for him," Orion said, with the absolute confidence of youth. He placed his hand gently on his adopted father's—his _true_ father's—shoulder. "But there is surely nothing to be gained by missing your rest. Come. We saved you some supper. Come eat it before Scavenger sniffs it out. Perhaps this matter will be more clear come morning."

….

The Titans reconvened that evening, at 8:00 pm. There had been no sign of any crystal-sphere-spawned being, nor any other sort of being that might be what they were looking for. There had been, of course, a few ordinary crimes, which were dealt with speedily. But nothing really requiring their special talents. Even the H.I.V.E. Five had been quiet. Robin couldn't help but feel it was the calm before the storm.

"So….nothing out of the ordinary to report. Raven? Any word from the Orb? Right now, it's pretty much all we have to go on."

"I'll ask." The sorceress closed her eyes for a moment. Then, "No. It, too, sensed some residue or reflection of the power in the sphere here, but was unable to pinpoint it. It was just here, then gone. I wonder, "she began, "if maybe we shouldn't consult other magic users. Dr. Fate, in particular, comes to mind…."

"I'll ask and see. But my guess is, that'd have to go through the League, and I doubt he'd make a personal stopover here, especially since we really don't have that much to go on."

Angelique signaled for attention. "Uh, Mr. Robin? Father Alpha...uh, kinda has some things he'd like to say."

Robin was perplexed. The Thinker Angelique called her Father Alpha was no where in evidence…..

…..and, even as he was wondering that, a figure teleported in to their conference room.

Father Alpha proved to be a short, five-foot tall humanoid, pale white in coloration, with a large bulbous head and a frame that seemed too slight to support such a cranium. He was wearing some sort of loose-fitting coveralls, his overly-large hands clasped behind him in a relaxed posture, and, to Robin's eyes, seemed almost frail. But this was an Osiran, and Robin knew that Osirans weren't composed of the same kind of matter as humans were. Father Alpha probably weighed tons.

He wore something around his neck, something that glittered. He looked up at Robin. His lips did not move, but the object around his neck spoke up. "You would be Robin, leader of the Teen Titans. I am known as Alpha, leader of the Kindred."

Robin stood up. Although Alpha had not actually done anything, and was anything but prepossessing in appearance, there was a sense of _authority_ about him that Robin found quite impressive. Batman had the same air of authority. "An honor to meet you, sir. I trust your daughter relayed our message to you?"

"Indeed she did. I cannot think of any way in which you might aid us, but…we do find ourselves sharing a world in common. And that world may soon need defending." He paused, and seemed to take a breath. "We of the Kindred stand ready to assist you in whatever way we can." Another pause. "I also wanted to take this opportunity to meet with you, my daughter's new friends. Her last involvement with a human was….somewhat less than ideal. As I believe you came to know."

"Yes, sir. If we could have spared your daughter exposure to Slade, we would have. I hope you know enough about us by now to realize that we are nothing like him."

"Indeed." And here Alpha gazed around at the assembled Titans. "Yes, I believe it safe to say you are nothing like him. I am still somewhat uneasy about my daughter going into conflict and possible danger…"

"Father Alpha! This isn't like that!" (Wasn't it?—thought Robin)

"….but short of locking her in her room, I simply cannot shield her from all the world's unpleasantness. And I've a hunch she'd not take to such treatment very well." Here Alpha smiled, slightly; his was not a face where a smile really felt at home.

"We've all grown fond of your daughter, sir. I doubt there's anything we wouldn't do for her."

Alpha sobered. "In this, we are of one mind." He paused, looking around. "I was hoping to meet the one called 'Kitten.' She is not here, is she?"

"No, sir. She took some time off; some sort of personal project. But she should be back with us within a matter of days."

"I would like to meet her. My daughter has spoken very highly of her." Another pause. Then, "But there is another reason I come before you this evening. You are aware, are you not, of the human Slade's treatment of my daughter's pet?"

"We heard he put nanoprobes in him. Yes. That's not the first time he's tried that sort of thing, as a control measure."

"Indeed. I returned the favor by placing the same probes in _him_, resulting in a significant deterioration of his health. However, something I think you should be aware of: my communication with and control over these same probes was terminated day before yesterday."

Robin shook his head. "Fitting, that you gave him what he gave others. I suppose it's just a measure of the way things go that he figured out a way out of it."

"That is just it: I do not think he did. My connection to the probes was abruptly severed. Although I have no evidence, I do not believe he was responsible for that. The _feel_ of it was…wrong, somehow. As if the probes simply ceased to exist. While I am not completely certain, I do not believe this to be a commonplace occurrence on your world."

"You're right; it's not." Robin rubbed his chin. "Something, I take it, outside your experience? Even as these beings we seek are outside of all our experience?"

"Indeed. There could be a connection."

Robin looked grim. "So we have to assume the worst. That Slade is probe-free, probably back in good health, and fully capable of causing mischief. Again. And, to make matters worse, he may have somehow accessed some of the power of one of these entities in order to accomplish that. Or some other unknown factor is at work."

"Unknown factors," observed Alpha, "seem to abound these days."

…

_So what unknown factors have I left out?_ Wondered Kitten. Then she mentally kicked herself; if a factor was _unknown_, by definition, it almost had to be one no-one had thought of.

Slade had explained the workings of the projector thoroughly. Someone had to operate it, on this side, but the individual within its field of focus had to carry a "receptor," a device that enabled it to operate on that person and only on that person, rather than have the effect of the beam disperse across the countryside. So what she had to do was, shift over to that other world, get in position, then switch _off_ the receptor, whereupon she'd "bounce back" into _this_ universe, grab the artifact, then switch the receptor back _on,_ which would shift her back to that other world. Then, retrieval. As long as the receptor device was "on", she'd be in that parallel universe, but if it were to be switched off or be damaged, she'd automatically shunt back to this one. This ensured she couldn't be trapped in that other realm.

She was pondering just how to do it when Slade cleared his throat. "Ms. Cat. If I might offer a suggestion?" Her expression told him, _go ahead._ "You could send me. I do have more experience in these matters, and could probably retrieve the artifact faster and more efficiently…."

She shook her head. "No. This is my job. _I_ took it, and why doesn't matter. It's my responsibility. Anyway, I need you to guard the projector. Maybe I can't be trapped over there, but I need it to stay in one piece long enough to do the job." _Besides, I can't say I really trust you inside the secret Vatican archives, anyway._ Which was actually kinda funny, as _she_ was going in there to steal something.

Much, much later, she'd wonder just how much of that decision was really hers, and how much the result of the Entity's _geas._

"Very well. It was only a suggestion."

They were just outside of Vatican City, in a clearing surrounded by trees. Kitten would still have to cross a goodly amount of territory just to get to the spot where she'd have to start digging, and Slade had stressed that he really didn't know that much about this other universe. While he knew enough about it to know there was no human civilization there, there could be other dangers there in the form of predators, or even people of one sort or another. Nothing was certain.

But finally, they'd gone over everything they could collectively think of, and Kitten had everything she thought—hoped—she'd need. "Alright," she said, standing over in a cleared area, "I'm ready."

Slade aimed the projector at her, and she flicked on the switch on the receptor around her neck. Almost instantly, she simply vanished from his sight.

Kitten found herself standing in a small clearing surrounded by some of the tallest trees she'd ever seen. Or were they trees? She took a moment to examine them. They didn't seem to have bark, and their leaves looked….strange. She shrugged. It really didn't matter whether they could be classified as "trees," at least as she understood the term, or not. She wasn't here to sight-see.

She got out her map and compass. Exactly one-fourth mile and thirty-three yards northwest…then a left, and ten yards, two feet…..and she should be right over where the artifact was on her world.

So intently did she study the map in her hands that she failed to notice the many pairs of eyes following her from the tops of the trees….

…..

The Entity continued to follow the Titans, even as they prepared for bed that night. As had become usual, Starfire and Robin took the first shift, with Cyborg tinkering away in the basement/garage. Beast Boy and Terra retired, putting on _Alien vs. Predator_, an oldie but a goodie, to watch. The Entity paused and watched the first few minutes of the movie, too, even though they were completely unaware of his presence. Of course, the Entity had no intention of remaining long; that just wouldn't be polite.

But he found the movie fascinating. It had been a long, long time since the Entity had seen anything resembling an Earthly movie or some other form of entertainment. So this was what humans watched these days? Interesting. The interplay between the extraterrestrial Predator and the human protagonist was, of course, very emotionally engaging, even if it wasn't terribly realistic.

If the Entity could have shrugged, he would have. So what, if it wasn't realistic? It was a _movie!_ It was supposed to be _fun!_

Halfway through the movie, Terra moved closer to Garfield, and hugged him close. Was she scared, the Entity wondered? But no, apparently not, at least, judging from her physiological reactions. Then she began kissing him…..

_Time to go,_ thought the Entity, with what passed as a smile for him. He left the room, drifting down the hall to Raven's room. The sorceress was sitting cross-legged on her bed, studying an ancient, almost crumbling book of spells.

The Entity debated with himself. He really didn't want to involve Raven in things that were far beyond her, or her friends', ability to affect. But surely, she needed to at least know what was happening. Perhaps he owed her that much. In a part of his unique mind, the Entity wondered: where was Hank? Why wasn't he here? He and Raven could be doing what Beast Boy and Terra were doing….

Well, really, it was none of his business. But he considered Raven a friend, and actually wanted the best for his friend. But still.

_Raven?_ He directed a carefully modulated thought at her.

Her head snapped up, focusing on an empty spot in the air in her room. "You! You're…you're here?"

_Yes, Raven. I'm here. Don't worry; I haven't come to bother you or anything. But I sensed you searching for answers, and I have some to give._

Raven closed her book carefully, marking the spot. "Al…right. I'm…listening."

There was a pause. Then, _Raven? You're not afraid of me, are you?_

Now _she_ paused. Should she lie, and tell it she wasn't? But surely it would sense a lie…."Well. Yes. Some. It's just…." She struggled to put it into words. "You're….an unknown element. And a powerful one. I'd have to be foolish _not_ to be a little…anxious…around you. Foolish or stupid."

_But…why would you be afraid of me? I know things got a little…tense….in that other world, but everything I did, I did to protect you. I would never hurt you. Now I know just my saying so doesn't reassure you all that much, but it's true._

_Anyway, what I've come to say: the being in the crystal sphere is an agent of my Adversary. Yes, he is immensely powerful; it would not be wise to engage him in combat. Frankly, the best thing that could happen in that case would be, he wouldn't even notice. So please don't try. Let me handle him; I've some experience in doing so, and this is __my__ battle, anyway._

Raven took that in. Then, "What about this artifact you wanted stolen?"

_Ah, don't worry about that. I've made other arrangements since we spoke last time. The artifact should no longer be an issue soon. _

_Now. There are things I have to tell you. You will want to inform the others, of course, and I understand—sort of-your desire to "fly below the radar," to use the pithy human expression, in regards to your relationship with me, so you might want to camouflage this information with some fast doubletalk about a spell of discovery or something…._

"Won't the Orb know?"

_Not about this conversation, no. Now…_

The next morning, at breakfast, Raven sat down in her usual place. "I have some things to report," she began. "I've discovered—never mind just how, it's a long story—a few things we all need to know. One is, we're about to get more company."

A collective groan went up from almost everybody at the table. "Great. Who is it _this_ time? Gozer the Destructor? Godzilla, maybe?" asked Beast Boy.

"Would that it were. It appears to be the, well, I suppose the word 'counterpart,' or antagonist, to the entity in the crystal sphere would be the best way of summing it up."

"Wonderful." Robin looked thoughtful. "So we're about to become a battleground, are we?"

"Maybe not. There may be a way to avoid such."

"What?"

"Simple. We ask."

_To be continued….._


	5. Chapter 5: The Missing

Tales of the Teen Titans: Godwar, Part 1: The Contract, chapter 5: The Missing

_I don't own the Teen Titans. _

Kitten reached the spot where, if her map was accurate, was just over the analogous spot where the artifact resided on her world. She reached into the backpack she'd brought and pulled out her "shovel."

It resembled a foot-long, thin, hollow tube with a bulbous attachment at one end, along with a battery pack. It was a little project she'd been working on, just something that had occurred to her, but something she really hadn't had all that much use for until now. Hence it's crude and unfinished look.

Molecular matter was held together by the electromagnetic interplay of the outer electron shell of the individual atoms. As long as those electrons interacted with each other normally, molecules held together in a cohesive unit. Her device briefly interrupted that interaction, causing the similarly-charged atomic nuclei to repel each other, reducing matter to a kind of monatomic dust. In short, it was a kind of a disintegrator ray.

It wasn't much good as a weapon, because it acted too slowly for combat purposes. That, and its unavoidable lethality if it _did_ have a chance to work, were the reasons Kitten had shelved it.

But it made an excellent digging tool. She had time here, and the ground wasn't going anywhere. She slipped a breather mask over her head and eyes; the dust produced would be murder on anyone's sinuses or mucus membranes. She made sure the seal was tight, and aimed her ray…..

All the while completely oblivious of the eyes watching her every move.

…..

"Tara? Are you okay in there?" Bumblebee was getting a little concerned. Tara was often a late riser, but it was nearly noon.

"Something wrong?" Speedy diverted his attention from his mirror long enough to ask as he passed by.

"Mmm, maybe. You haven't see Tara today, have you?"

"No. She's probably just still asleep."

"At this hour? She's missed breakfast, and she's about to miss lunch." Bumblebee checked her watch. "Make that, _missed_ lunch. I know she's not that big an eater, but still."

He knocked on her door. "Tara? You in there?" Nothing. "You okay?" Still nothing. He turned back to Bumblebee. "So…what do you think we oughtta do?"

Bumblebee thought hard. It was probably nothing…..although she knew the override codes for each room, she hesitated using them, at least in this particular instance. Sometimes, Tara was…..er…._extremely_ indisposed. Especially since she'd bought that vibrator. "We'll give her a little longer. But if there's no sign of her by tonight…."

…

"Okay, so exactly how do we do this?" Robin and the rest of them, including Angelique, were seated in the main conference hall, from which they'd removed all the chairs and tables. Everybody sat on the ground, cross-legged, with Raven at the center. Around them, candles lit the five corners of the pentagram, while the smell of incense wafted through the air.

"First, clear you minds of all thoughts and worries. What we're about to attempt is a simple communication spell. It's not invasive, like J'onn J'onnz's telepathy was. This is more akin to ringing a doorbell. But we have to be clear and focused on our purpose.

"So. Clear your minds of all thoughts of what went on today, any worries you may have, any fears you may have. Just try to make them as blank a slate as possible. Don't try to force it; just focus on, say, a blank movie screen in your heads or something, if that helps."

"Uh, Raven?" Garfield spoke up.

"Yes, Beast Boy?"

He cleared his throat. "Ever since last night, I've had this impression that someone—one of us, I mean—is in considerable danger. I don't know who, and it's driving me crazy. Maybe I shouldn't be a part of this? I mean, if I'll just mess things up…."

Raven thought. "Can you try to put this sense of danger on the, sort of, back burner? Just for a little while? We really do need everyone's help in this spell, Garfield. Especially with Kitten gone."

He fidgeted. "I can try."

"Good. And afterwards, perhaps we can figure out where this feeling of yours is coming from. But for now, just focus on contacting our target: the alien in the crystal sphere.

"Now. All of you: focus on me. Be of one mind with me….Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos, Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos, Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos….."

In each of the Titans' minds, there sprang a clear picture: the crystal sphere in orbit around Earth. And, strangely enough, it was as if they could somehow _see_ that it was inhabited, although not in any way they really understood. It was like saying a battery was inhabited by its electrical charge….except that wasn't right, either…..

_**Yes**__? _ They could sense the being in the sphere, and could tell it was aware of them.

"_You are the one known as Typhon?"_

_**I am.**_

"_We are the Teen Titans. We come asking a favor of you."_

_**Speak.**_

"_We understand that you are here to oppose another entity, whom you believe will cause great destruction here."_

_**Belief has nothing to do with it. He has already caused great destruction, not just here, but in many other parts of creation.**_

"_Our concern is this: your conflict with him may produce the very devastation you seek to prevent."_

_**It may.**_

"_Can you not take this conflict to some other world? Perhaps a lifeless one, where there would be no innocents to endanger?"_

_**I have my duty.**_

"_We understand about duty. We do not suggest you abrogate that. But is it impossible to avoid drawing this world into your conflict?"_

There was a pause. Then, _**Do you understand what we are fighting about?**_

"_No."_

_**He seeks to be all, to be everything, and for everything to be One in Him. He seeks to be God. Not a god, as you understand the term, but what you would call "**__**God**__**." Of all.**_

The Titans really didn't know what to say about that. Raven, in particular, was a bit….well, the word "shocked" fit; somehow, she'd never actually tried to figure out just what the Entity's ultimate aims really were. But never in her wildest dreams did she think…..

_**I did not choose this battleground. He did. And although he is not yet here, in full, he soon will be. **__**He**__** is coming **__**here **__** because of **__**you.**__** I am here to protect **__**you**__** from **__**him**__**. It is not a question of me choosing to endanger you deliberately, or because I simply do not care. The physical planet does not matter to him; it is the **__**people**__** on the planet that he seeks. It is because of **__**you**__** that he is coming here. It is because of him that I am here.**_

…..

The other world: Kitten was enveloped in a cloud of monatomic dust. Every so often, she had to stop and let it clear, and check the depth of the hole she was digging. So far, so good. Slow going, but she'd get there. Already the hole was almost deep enough to be contiguous with the subbasement of the Archives where the artifact was stored, on her world.

She wondered just what this thingy was supposed to do, anyway. The Entity had made a big deal over it causing so much misery on Earth….what could it possibly do?

Well, she guessed it didn't really matter. Maybe when she saw it, she'd have a better idea of its purpose.

…..

_Okay_, Bumblebee thought, _enough is enough._ She keyed in the override code to Tara's room, and the door swished open.

The room was empty. Most of Tara's personal things were gone. She'd left her T-cell behind, on her bed, along with a note: _Please don't try to find me. This is what I've always wanted._

Bumblebee ran out of the room and hit the alarm. Quickly, she apprised the team thus summoned of the situation. "And the last call on her T-cell was an incoming one, from an unknown number. Call me peculiar, but I have a baaaad feeling about all this."

"You and me both." Speedy was pensive. "Give me that T-cell." He fumbled with it for a moment, opening the back, and fiddled with some part of it, using a small tool he had in his belt. "These things are set to record the last conversation they had."

"They are?" Bumblebee's eyebrows arched upward. "I didn't know that."

"Yeah." He blushed. "I kinda found that out, the hard way, a while back." He fumbled with it some more. Then:

_Click. "Yes?"_

"_Tara? It 's me, Beast Boy."_

"_Beast Boy! Garfield…I've been trying to call you for ages! Why haven't you called me back?"_

"_I'm sorry, Tara, but Terra was watching my every move. I've only now been able to sneak away from her. I've come to my senses, now. I know you're the one for me. The only one. Do you still feel the same about me?"_

"_You know I do. I'm yours, completely and totally, now and forever."_

"_And I'm yours, forever, as well. But we'll have to be careful. The others would never understand. That includes Titans East: you can't let them know anything. Terra's poisoned all their minds against you, saying you're some sort of horrible person. Can you meet me at the old warehouse on 36__th__ Street? Alone?"_

"_You know I can, darling. I'd go to the ends of the Earth, and beyond, for you. When should I be there?"_

"_How does ten pm sound?"_

"_Better than okay! It sounds great! I'll be there."_

"_Good. And we can…you know….leave. I've got money. There's lots of places we can go, to get away from the others. We'll start a new life, all over again, somewhere far away, just the two of us, where they'll never find us. And we'll be so very happy together, you and I."_

"_I'll be there, sweetheart. And, like you say, we'll—we'll go away. Far away. And it'll be so very good, you'll see. You won't regret it for a second, I promise."_

"_I've no doubt of that, Tara, my love. It's…it's been hell without you. I've dreamed of you every night, and couldn't stop thinking about you when I was awake. Being with you, wherever we are, will be paradise. And I promise to always love, honor, and cherish you. Always."_ The recording ended with Tara hitting the "off" switch.

The assembled Titans looked at each other.

_To be continued….._


	6. Chapter 6: Choices

Tales of the Teen Titans: Godwar, Part 1: The Contract, chapter 6: Choices

_I don't own, etc._

In the other world: According to Kitten's map, she'd finally reached the depth the artifact was supposed to be in her world. Okay. Showtime.

She lowered a rope ladder into the pit she'd dug, landing on the rough bottom of the pit with ease. If she had been going to stay a while, she'd have sought to level off the bottom of the pit, at least a little bit, but, for now, the crumbling, damp, jagged bottom would have to do. Now….switch off the receptor…..

She had a moment of unease. What if she'd miscalculated? She might end up inside a solid wall. But, no, she'd checked and double-checked…_click._

Darkness. The inside of the secret vault was totally dark. That made sense; nobody was supposed to be down here anyway. But she'd anticipated that, too, and donned a set of night-sight goggles, complete with its own infrared emitter. The walls of the archive lit up around her, glowing an eerie green. All around her were cubicles set into the walls, each one with its own lock and code pad.

She wondered about that. If this thing was so dangerous, why not just destroy it? Why keep it around at all? But, she remembered, smallpox was supposed to be extinct, thanks to modern medical care….except for a few samples, the rumor went, kept in closely guarded military facilities by the various governments of the world, held in reserve…just in case.

_Face it, Kitten,_ she told herself, _destruction, even self-destruction just plain fascinates us humans. We can't get enough of it._ Maybe the Entity was right…..or at least not totally wrong.

She crept down the short hallway, the tip of her tail twitching nervously back and forth. What was down here was supposed to be ultra super mega dangerous, after all; a little caution was called for.

There: cubicle 657-09. The very one the Entity had specified. She tapped in one of the two codes she'd memorized, and it popped open on the first try.

Inside was a box. Just a simple box, not even as big as a shoebox, with a tube sticking out of one end, and some sort of controls on the other side. Kitten was a bit disappointed. All this for a fancy box? Somehow, she'd hoped for something a bit more impressive.

Say. That next cubicle….she found herself wondering what was in it. Everything down here was, of course, hyper dangerous….maybe she'd be doing the world a bigger favor by taking it, too.

She secured the disappointingly normal looking box, and went over to the cubicle that had drawn her attention. A perfectly ordinary—for here—cubicle. Whatever was inside surely wouldn't be any trouble. She didn't know the passcode, but she had her disintegrator ray; she could just disintegrate the lock. She raised her gun, there in the narrow confines of the subbasement….

Wait. Why was she doing this? She'd come for the box behind her. What was so fascinating about this one cubicle? Why had she been drawn to it, and not some other?

It didn't matter; this was the cubicle she wanted to open. Surely it contained something really interesting, maybe even some sort of treasure. No reason why it shouldn't…

No. She backed away, raising her disintegrator to port arms. This was wrong. She was dreaming up reasons to open this cubicle, _but the desire to do so wasn't hers._

She backed away even more, the hairs on her head prickling with a cold sense of danger.

_Lllleetttt mmmeeee ooouuuuttt…._ A cold, nauseous wind, like a stinking draft from a graveyard, seemed to blow through Kitten's mind. Something wanted out, something….hungry…..

She backed away still further, fumbling for the button on the receptor. She felt herself losing feeling in her fingertips and toes…

She grabbed the box, stuck it in her backpack, and, stumbling away, managed to switch the receptor back _on._

Immediately, light from the upper surface flooded down to her. She grabbed the end of the rope ladder, and began to haul herself up….

….and just as her head cleared the edge of the pit she'd dug, and just as she was about to haul herself up onto the grassy surface, the first dart _thwipped _into the ground right in front of her face.

…

The Titans had dispersed back to their respective rooms, with Cyborg and Angelique playing a game on the main TV room's entertainment system.

Raven had gone back to her room, seething. Her breath came in hitches, and she struggled to calm down, but without a whole lot of success. She paced back and forth, like a caged animal, across the carpet in front of her bed.

She'd let herself be used. Again. And it was getting old. Real old.

_Raven?_ The Entity's mental voice sounded in her head. _What's wrong?_

She turned, addressing a point in the empty space over her head. "You know DAMNED WELL what's wrong! You lied to me, you used me at every turn! You just want to, to, engorge yourself on the whole universe, like some monstrous glutton! And you had ME doing your dirty work! You actually had me TRUSTING you! You're no better than Malchior, except you never tried to get between my legs." She paused, breathing hard from shouting. She didn't care if the others heard her or not. "I suppose I should be grateful for small favors."

The Entity was silent for a moment. Then, _Tell me what happened._

"Typhon told us what you _really_ want. You want to be God, just assimilate everyone and everything there is into you. Isn't that true?"

Pause. Then, _Yes, it's true. But Raven, I've never told you differently. I told you I assimilate universes and individuals alike. I incorporate them into my own Self. I've never made a secret of that._

"You're a monster."

Another pause, this one longer. _Raven. I've never lied to you. When we first began to communicate, I did ask you to perform a simple task for me-indeed, for your whole world-, in return for which, I would have granted you your heart's desire. I suppose if you stretch the definition enough, that might be considered "using you," but I certainly didn't mean it in any harmful way. Not the way I sense you mean.  
_

_Raven. There's so much you don't understand. Yes, I want to assimilate everything, eventually. But assimilation doesn't mean some horrible fate. You don't understand. I'm not one single individual; I'm billions of individuals, all of whom have found a place within me. It's not a case of "me" overriding all these other minds and souls; they __are__ me._ And the Entity opened himself up, just a little, to Raven, just enough for her to sense….

_**Billions upon billions of souls, only a small percentage of them human, but each one of them an individual, yet interconnected in a way as intimate as the parts of the body. What one lacked, another had an abundance of. What one had too much of, another needed. Each and every one of them meshing together perfectly, into one single unit, honestly devoted to a common purpose, helping each other. No more pain, no more sorrow, no more loneliness, no more death. It was the flawlessness of Unity, the wonder of Oneness…**_

_**The Ultimate Perfection of each and every individual within that One Being.**_

_This is me, Raven. Not a monster. Every word you hear is coming from everyone within me, simultaneously. We are literally of one mind._

_You, mortals, are born from the supra-cosmic substrate that authored all creation. When you die, your immortal part returns to that same force. But you had no choice in the matter. Until now._

_Now you have a choice.  
_

Raven was taken aback, her initial fury subsiding. A choice?

_And you actually believed me to be some sort of cosmic pig, guzzling up whole galaxies and farting out dark matter? Raven, after all we've been through, after all I've done for you, and for you __personally__, after all I thought we meant to each other…..you believe me no better than __Malchior__?_

_And all it took, to completely shatter that relationship, was a few words from my enemy, who, let's face it, can't really be counted upon to give you a completely unbiased version of the whole story anyway? All that, just flushed down the drain? Just like that?_

_Is  this  all  you  think  of  me?_

Raven actually took a step back. The Entity was angry with her, not in the sense of a god being angry at an insect, but as one person to another. And more than just angry; he was actually _hurt._ She hadn't thought that was possible. "I….*"

She could sense the Entity doing the equivalent of turning his back on her. _Very well. If that's what you think, then that's what you think. I suppose things are the way they are. _

_Goodbye, Raven._ And the sense of the Entity's mental presence faded completely from her mind. She stood there, in the middle of her room, alone, stunned, for a long, long moment. Then she did something she'd never done before, something that was totally uncharacteristic of her: she burst into tears.

…

_Whoops,_ thought Kitten, even as another toothpick-sized dart zipped past her. Her attackers resembled lemurs: small, obviously tree-dwelling beings, wearing small kilts around their waists. They sorta looked like that goofy lemur king from the _Madagascar_ movies, only these were evidently trying to kill her. Somehow, that made them look a lot less goofy.

So far, Kitten had avoided the darts, which she was sure were poisoned. And even if they weren't…Kitten remembered a scene from a museum she'd gone to one time, of cavemen bringing down a wooly mammoth. Stick enough sharp objects in something, and it'll die.

"Look, you guys," she began, for the fifth time, "Lay off, will ya? Just lemme get out of this hole, and you'll never see me again. And I promise you, I'm not good to eat. Haven't kept up my pilates. Anyway, I'm prolly bad for your cholesterol or something." Her attackers, of course, took absolutely no notice of her words, and continued to rain darts down on her, forcing her to duck into the hole she'd dug.

But she had to get back to the place where she came in. These guys were definitely a complication.

She gauged her timing, and then, just as they were reloading their blowguns, she saw her opportunity and jumped over the rim of the hole, somersaulting in mid air, and landing on her feet just beyond the circle of lemur-things, her tail helping balance her. They immediately turned, raising their blowguns to their lips…

...and she aimed her disintegrator at the ground right in front of them, kicking up a cloud of ultrafine dust that blew back into their faces, making them cough and sneeze...

That cold, charnel wind blew through Kitten's mind again. _Ffoooooddd…_ And each and every one of the lemur-warriors turned as one being to face the pit Kitten had just jumped out of. There was something at the edge of the pit, something Kitten couldn't really _see_ very well, something her mind didn't _want _to see…

The lemur warriors marched, glassy-eyed, straight up to the thing…..and began disappearing into it. _I'm next,_ thought Kitten, with a gulp, even as she raced for the extraction point. She'd caught a break: evidently the thing from the vault had followed her somehow (but how?) and, fortunately for her, had distracted her attackers at just the right time. But she didn't want to be in the same _world_ as that thing, whatever it was. Good thing she had a way out.

At the clearing, she hit the "off" switch on her receptor…..

….Coming back into her own universe just in time to see Slade leap at her.

Slade slammed into her like a runaway subway train, bowling her over and over, into the bushes. He landed on top of her, and put his hand over her mouth. "Shh. We've got company."

Kitten focused on the area around her. Sure enough, with her heightened senses, she could hear the rustle of people coming….then the staccato barking of automatic rifle fire.

The hail of bullets chewed up the earth she'd previously been standing on. "Who are these guys, anyway? Swiss Guard?"

"No," he said, easing off her, and whispering. "Not Swiss Guard. I spotted them only a few moments ago. They're superbly trained troops of one sort or another, wearing black body armor; they remind me of either SEALS or _Spetsnaz_. But no identifying insignia or badges. We need," he added, unnecessarily, "to vacate the premises. Now."

"Hey, I'm all for that. What about your projector?"

"I'll try to retrieve-*" His words were cut short by another round of machine gun fire, this one chewing into the projector itself, reducing it to junk. "Well. That takes care of that. But we've got to get back to the jet."

Keeping to the densest cover, the duo cautiously crept back along their route, hoping these troops, whoever they were, hadn't already beaten them there. These were professional troops; they didn't waste ammunition hosing down suspect bushes. Every shot they'd fired had been accurate, deadly, and just enough. And whoever fired it had immediately moved to a different location, thus negating the possibility of return fire. But finally, after some extremely tense minutes of creeping and crawling, Kitten and Slade were rewarded with the sight of their jet, camouflaged under its self-adjusting chameleon-like tarpaulin.

Casting about, they cautiously removed the tarp, ever keeping a sharp eye out for any troops or the possibility of snipers. They'd just about gotten Slade's jet uncovered and prepped when he froze. "They're coming," he muttered. And Kitten could just barely make out the faint rustle in the bushes and leaves that bespoke of company.

"We've got to get out of here," she hissed. "Get in the jet and let's go!"

"They'd shoot us down. Every third of those rounds is armor-piercing."

"Well, we sure as hell can't stay here!"

Two things flashed through Slade Wilson's mind then. One, he had been hired to "assist _and protect_" Kitten on this job. If he managed, somehow, to make it back without her, the Entity could easily consider that a breach of contract, and return him to his former miserable state. He'd sooner die than face that again.

And two, for all her increased abilities, Devil Cat, as she was currently calling herself, just didn't have the experience necessary to last even a few minutes against these extremely well-trained and armed troops.

But he did.

He turned to her. "Get in the jet! Now! Go on!"

"What about you?"

"Never mind me! Just _go_!" And he practically threw her, bodily, into the minijet's cockpit. "Just punch in the autopilot! Now _go!_"

She hit the autopilot, and the jet started up. The VTOL jets ignited….

Slade turned to face the oncoming troops, who were dodging in and out of cover, but ever closing the distance between them. Slade looked up.

The sunlight dappled the carpet of leaves around him, and in the distance, he could hear the chirp of a bird. Somewhere, he knew, perhaps somewhere close by, there was a stream with water gurgling over rocks. Perhaps there were fish in that stream.

It was fitting that he was so close to Rome, the Eternal City. He lifted his _bo_ staff high. "_Ave, Caesar, morituri te salutant!" _And with that, Slade Wilson leaped forward into his last battle.

_The End.  
_


End file.
